Disclaimer: Rowling owns many things.

1998-2003

Snake in the Chestnut

Two Sisters

1990-1998

8 September 1996

Astoria got up early – as she was used to. She did a few stretches and went to take a quick shower – nothing unusual either. When she got out, wrapped in a large towel, brown hair still wet, as she absentmindedly left her wand on the nightstand.

It was in this state, when she noticed her sister. Daphne was sitting at her bed, apparently having gotten up as early as Astoria did – and that was extremely unusual for the older sister.

"We need to talk." It looked like Daphne didn't sleep much last night.

Astoria shrugged and reached for her wand, starting to cast mild drying spell on her hair.

"How do you know Karya?"

"Who?" Astoria looked at her sister as if she was mad – it was unbelievable that Daphne would get up earlier just to ask if she knew someone. "Never heard of her."

"A little girl of four, calls you 'Tori' and Potter - 'dad'. Ring any bells?"

"What?" Astoria almost dropped her wand. Her shout didn't wake anybody else in her year, so she guessed that Daphne cast one or two privacy spells just after she came in.

"It was all 'Tori told me this' and 'Tori said' - you don't really know who I'm talking about?" Daphne scowled.

"No. Should I be worried?"

"Dumbledore wants to talk to you about her. After breakfast."

"And I'll tell him the same I have just told you. I don't know any Karya..." she trailed off. "Wasn't there someone in the family tee with the same name?"

Daphne sighed. "I knew that it must have been more complicated than simply asking you."

"So, Potter has a child? Since he was how old... twelve?"

"Apparently."

"So, how did you meet her?"

"She thought that I was you and hugged me."

Astoria laughed. "So, it's likely she will try to do the same to me? Is she at least cute?"

Daphne reddened slightly, and were she not talking to her sister, it would have gone unnoticed.

"I'll take that as a yes... Do you have any idea who the mother could be? Still, it's probably a muggle – we would have noticed something going on at Hogwarts."

"I don't think that it's possible that she has a muggle mother. With her wizarding clothes and the fact that Harry has next to no time in summer with relatives of his." Daphne shrugged, and then noticed the wide eyes of her sister. "What?"

"Harry?" Astoria giggled.

It was only due to the privacy charm that no one heard the older sister cursing her younger one.

8 September 1996

Harry awoke calmly, from a strange dream, where he had found a daughter he never knew about and Dumbledore gave him temporary quarters...

He lifted his head and realized that it wasn't the Gryffindor dorm room he just woke up in. And – there was a messy brown head on his chest. A small and light girl was snuggled against him, breathing lightly. Her heart was beating softly, almost in synch with his own. It wasn't a very comfortable position – he didn't remember the girl climbing on his... couch?

Harry slowly moved his hand to take the glasses from the nearby nightstand. He remembered now - the elves had prepared two beds, yet, he believed that he wouldn't need one - he figured he would wait until she was asleep and then, maybe, go up to the Gryffindor tower - he would have asked Dobby to wake him up early, and would have returned before the girl woke. Yet, something went not exactly as planned. First of all, even when the girl looked tired, it took ages for her to fall asleep. After she did, Harry was simply too sleepy himself to move anywhere. At some point before his waking, apparently, the girl snuck on top of him and fell asleep...

Should he wake her yet? Harry looked around for a clock - there was one in the room, yet it appeared to be broken - it didn't move any and showed half past seven – the same as it did yesterday.

7 September 1996

The room had two comfortable looking beds - one smaller and the other an exact copy of Harry's usual bed in the gryffindor tower. It was a fairly large room, having a small desk to the side of the room, four small chairs, a half empty bookcase, a small couch and a huge clock on the wall. The entrance to it was quite near the Fat Lady, and the password, probably a joke on Dumbledore's part, was easy to remember - 'time'.

The girl quickly settled herself on the smaller bed - as she did so, a familiar elf - Dobby - appeared with small green pyjamas in his tow.

Karya smiled at the elf. "Hello."

The elf dropped everything he was carrying - apparently the bundle included a small green pillow - and started bowing to the little girl. Karya only laughed, and took the clothes she was brought - Dobby bowed few more times and disappeared.

"Do you..." Harry felt as if he should ask, but was praying that she would answer no. "- need help to dress...?"

"Dad," she huffed almost alike Hermione. "I am a big girl."

Harry felt his cheeks burn with slight embarrassment, and looked away while the little one was changing.

"Tell me about grandpa Potter?"

The question hit him quite suddenly, and started panicking as he had no idea what he could tell the little girl.

"I... don't really know much." Harry tried to be as honest as he could. "I have never met him... He would have loved to meet you, I think."

"Me too." She whispered, already sprawled on the small bed.

Harry watched her yawn slowly.

"I once thought that I saw my father. Everyone told me that I couldn't have, but I didn't want to listen. But it was just me - because I look just like my father, even to myself. It was the first time I successfully cast a Patronus. It looks just like my dad did... Prongs."

"Prongs..." she whispered, sleepy. "Show me."

Harry smiled, taking out his wand, and whispered the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum."

The brilliant, shining stag circled the little girl, and leaned to touch her face, slowly fading from the view. Her hand twitched, as if trying to touch the apparition, catch the happy memory, but the stag disappeared from the view.

"Tell me more..."

Harry sighed, gave in and sat down on the couch, hoping that the girl would fall asleep soon.

"When I was in my first year, I got a gift with no name in the note, but it was the first time I got to have something of my father - it was the Invisibility Cloak that belonged to my dad..."

His voice, telling the tale, was silent, sometimes he started talking about other things, but when she finally started breather evenly, he had already told her of the mirror and how he had seen his parents. The girl was sleeping soundly as he was thinking whether he would see them again if he could find the Mirror of Erised...

He was so tired, felt so drained, that it took him seconds to fall-

8 September 1996

Hermione was worried - apparently, at least according to Ron, Harry never appeared at the boy's dorm - yesterday, they had stayed up very late, waiting for him, but he never did return. Her fear intensified, when Harry didn't show up for breakfast, either.

Of course, the presence of Headmaster, who looked like he was deep in thought, but hadn't lost his usual twinkle in the eyes, served to soothe most of her worries.

Ron didn't help, being his usual hungry self - he just insisted that if Harry had been in trouble, he would have found a way inform them.

So, she had to try and ignore the obvious problem - and, for Hermione, that proved to be nearly impossible.

Almost not touching her meal at all, she was one of the first persons to get up, along with the Headmaster, who, apparently, had only touched his plate and drank but a single goblet of juice - Hermione was watching his movements intently.

Ignoring the questioning looks that Ron was giving her, she made her way towards Dumbledore, catching him just outside the Great Hall.

"Headmaster?" Her voice was slightly shaking.

He turned and locked eyes with her, giving her a slight smile and gesturing her to walk alongside him. "Miss Granger, might I be right to presume that you have a few questions to me?"

"So, Harry's alright?" She managed a smile. "I hoped that he is. Where is he?"

"I certainly hope that he is, but then again, there is no reason to think otherwise. As to where he is, I cannot tell for sure, but I am hoping that he will join me in my office soon."

"Could I...?" Hermione glanced behind her, hoping to see Ron, but it was almost an impossible task to drag him away from breakfast.

"Of course, Miss Granger, I don't think that Harry would mind. I have to ask you to keep an open mind, - It would be interesting to hear what you make of the situation."

"Situation?"

"I don't believe that words would do it justice..." The old wizard remained cheerful throughout the whole conversation, but didn't elaborate on what he had meant.

Hermione continued on silently, hoping that all would be cleared up soon. What could have happened with Harry? She had all the improbable theories lining up in her head and...

"Headmaster." Harry's voice shook her out of her thoughts. "Hermione?"

"Harry!" Hermione jumped forward, but then saw the curious expression of the little girl, perched on Harry's shoulders and almost fell down due to a misstep.

"Hello, what is your name?" The girl asked, making Hermione blink a few times. While she was thinking what to say, the girl leaned a bit closer to Harry's ear and whispered. "What is Her..mione?"

Harry, barely holding it as he was, started sniggering.

Hermione, flushing deep red, managed to reply. "My name is Hermione."

The little girl blinked. "You're funny."

Harry was shaking with laugher and both Hermione and Karya joined in soon, each with their own voice – Hermione's laugh was nervous, yet cheerful, whereas Karya's reminded Harry of hundred little bells.

Headmaster was grinning wide, and massaging his beard. After letting the children laugh for a while he coughed, lightly, once. "Maybe we should move the conversation into my office?"

The laughter subsided. Harry was still grinning while they were climbing up the spiral stairs. When they were finally in the office, safe from anyone who could overhear, he moved a bit closer to Hermione. "Hermione, I want you to meet Karya. Chestnut, this is Hermione, she's a good friend."

Karya extended her small hand forward as much as she could, and Hermione could only shake it lightly. "Nice to meet you."

Karya nodded, happily. "I'm meeting lots of new people."

Headmaster coughed again. "Would you like to sit down?"

"It's fun up here," Karya protested. "I feel like I'm older."

Harry sighed silently. "Alright. Hermione, go ahead, I'm fine, she's very light."

Hermione huffed. "Will someone please explain...?"

Harry shuffled uncomfortably, thinking how to break it down simply. Giving up, he just tried stalling for time. "She asked me to carry her, as the staircases were too many..."

"And dad agreed," Karya tried to help.

Hermione slumped on to the conjured couch. "Dad?"

"Well..." Harry was slightly sweating. "It's a bit complicated, but she is Karya Potter."

"What? How old is she?"

"I'm four." Karya supplied, happily, not realizing why her father was behaving strangely.

"But... Who...?" Hermione started muttering under her nose. "You... twelve?"

"I'm afraid it's as Mr. Potter has said – the circumstances of Miss Potter's arrival are more of a temporal than spatial origin. Miss Granger, I believe that you should remember your third year quite clearly."

Hermione almost shouted out – "She's from the future?"

"It is a possibility we must evaluate. However, how she may have arrived here, is a complex problem that is going to take some time to find a solution for."

Karya, already lost between words, was throwing glances towards Fawkes.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Albus called lightly, waving his hand to open the door. "Please, sit down." He motioned to both Greengrass sisters.

Astoria was looking at Karya with a raised eyebrow. Karya was staring at her too, blinking. Daphne's eyes were just scanning the room – the older sister noticed both Fawkes and Hermione paying lots of attention to the scene.

"Do I know you?" Astoria whispered at the same time as the little girl's face started shining with joy.

"Tori!"

Karya started trying to climb down, so Harry just set her down, and let her run into the wide eyed younger sister.

"I'm sorry, but I don't..." Astoria tried to begin again.

"Tori, you look little," Karya didn't let her finish, not releasing the hug. "What happened?"

Daphne allowed herself a smile, walking past them and sitting down. "I told you that she knows you."

Astoria started panicking. "But... I don't know you...?"

Karya didn't listen. "You had another sister? Why didn't you tell me? Why weren't you there yesterday to read a story? Dad said that today's Sunday, and you always tell me a story on Saturdays... Were you ill?" Finally the girl released her grip, and started staring at Astoria's eyes. "Is that why you are small?"

Daphne started sniggering. "And what story does Tori usually tell?"

"Babbitty Rabbitty."

Hermione tried to place the name, but couldn't, so she just glanced around and saw that somehow everyone beside her and Harry understood what the girl was talking about.

"It's her favourite, after her grandma went..." Karya started to explain, and finished at the same time as Astoria. "...to a better place."

"You do know me." Astoria smiled weakly, looking deep into the girl's eyes. "But I don't remember you." She raised her head and looked at the Headmaster, her gaze full of fear. "Have I been obliviated?"

"The answer is, most probably, no." Headmaster offered a warm smile to the younger slytherin. "I doubt that you could forget meeting someone like Karya."

Astoria nodded, and looked questioningly at the little girl. "And what stories does your 'dad' usually tell?"

Karya pouted. "It's hard to get stories from him. He said that mother liked to tell the one about the Serpent and a foolish Gryffindor. Once, dad told me the story about the three brothers. He even let me touch the Cloak. And yesterday, he told me about Prongs."

Hermione couldn't keep it to herself anymore. "Excuse me, but 'Babbitty Rabbitty'? And 'the Cloak'?"

Daphne harrumphed silently. "Wizarding tales. Although, I have never heard the one about the Serpent and a foolish Gryffindor."

"Dad could tell it."

"I'm afraid that..." Harry gulped. Then, he finally sat down, taking a place next to Daphne, as if his legs had just given up. "I know only one such story." His gaze was firmly fixed on the sword, hanging in the glass case.

Hermione gasped following the gaze. "The Chamber of Secrets."

"Is that?" Daphne pointed towards the case, disbelief in her voice.

Albus nodded. "That is the Sword of Gryffindor, yes."

"Like in the story!" Karya clapped her hands, looking at her father. "Will you tell the story?"

"It's your choice, Harry." Albus eyes were twinkling with an unusual intensity – it was apparent that the old Headmaster had just solved a piece of the puzzle that was bugging him for the most of the night.

"Alright, chestnut." He sighed, but soon smile returned to his face, as he saw how happy Karya looked. His daughter approached and climbed to sit between him and Daphne. Surprisingly, the Slytherin didn't retreat at the touch.

As both sisters didn't protest to hearing the tale, Harry tried to figure out how to begin. His gaze was locked on the sword, and his words were slightly distant, but he held Karya's arm all the time. As he spoke more and more, Harry's eyes started radiating with week, greenish light.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. Not many have faced them, and escaped to live another day. However, this story is about an innocent girl, a brave Gryffindor and an evil wizard - all three of them had seen the King with their very own eyes and each and every one of them survived to tell the tale. The evil wizard, in fact, had seen the Serpent countless times, and had to use numerous sweet, yet venomous lies to bind the King of Serpents to his own will. The girl, small, innocent, not unlike yourself, never sought out trouble – trouble found her even without trying. And finally, the Gryffindor was one of the brave and foolish types, who just wanted to save everyone. How all of them met the Basilisk, you might wonder, but never worry, for I will tell you everything.

"The evil wizard had tricked and kidnapped the girl, hiding it in the Serpent's lair. Like all dark lairs it was damp, dark, and hidden from everyone. We do not know what the wizard had planned – maybe he wanted to give the girl to the Serpent, to use her for some dark magic, but we know that the girl, however much she tried, just couldn't match the power of the darkness and fell into an enchanted sleep.

"The Gryffindor was lost – he knew not where the Chamber was. How was he supposed to rescue the innocent girl, when he couldn't even find the entrance to the Chamber? Luckily, he had something that no evil wizard ever had – he had friends he could trust, friends that could help him. He leaned on them, and together they cracked the puzzle – the Serpent had been hidden in the very castle they were learning magic in, and had been let out of the Chamber once, in the past.

"The Gryffindor simply had to find the previous victim, and ask her ghost for a way into the Serpent's lair, to the Chamber of Secrets. He approached the ghost carefully, and asked her, as politely as he could, about the time of her death. He was in a hurry to save the girl, and people aren't know to be polite when they want to do something fast, but he tried to be, for the sake of getting a true answer. The ghost answered the truthful plea. 'Yes, it was the Serpent, whose eyes I saw last. And it has happened here, in this place.' And she pointed to a dead end, making the Gryffindor fill with worry once more, for he had no idea how to make an entrance appear.

"He looked around and saw a mark – a tiny snake, carved into the wall, hidden in the plain sight. He asked for it to open the way for him, but it didn't bulge. However, one of his friends had an answer yet again – only a Slytherin could enter the Slytherin's chamber. The Gryffindor took a deep breath and reached out to his Slytherin side, because as every Slytherin has a bit of Gryffindor in them, every Gryffindor has a drop of Slytherin inside. And the Gryffindor hissed to the unmoving snake, demanding passage. And it was granted, for snakes always bow to the will of true Slytherins.

"The Gryffindor walked into the Chamber, challenging the evil wizard to a duel. However, the Basilisk had already been waiting, and arrived from the darkness, announcing its presence with a mighty hiss, making even the brave Gryffindor shudder with fear – for he knew that the Basilisk eyes were a dangerous weapon and no mortal should ever look straight into them.

"The Gryffindor closed his eyes shut and prayed for help, and his call was answered – for at Hogwarts, if the one who needs help is worthy, help is always given. The Phoenix appeared with swirling flames, bringing an old crumpled hat. Putting the hat over his eyes, the Gryffindor tried to will his fear away. The King of Serpents, however, faced the Phoenix, trying to defeat it with his gaze. But the Phoenix is no mortal – he held the gaze, only swooping down to blind the Basilisk with Phoenix flame.

"At that very moment, Gryffindor felt something heavy in his hand – a ruby sword had just appeared. For the hat wasn't just a simple old piece of clothing – it was an artefact from ancient times, and the sword was waiting for a true Gryffindor to wield it. The hat wishing him luck, sword held strong in his hand, Gryffindor stood straight to face the Basilisk and the evil wizard.

"The Basilisk hissed viciously, blinded, but still as dangerous as ever before. The evil wizard laughed – he didn't believe that even a blinded Basilisk could lose. The Gryffindor brandished his sword and met the lunging Serpent mid strike. The blade sank deep into Basilisk's skin. However, at the very moment, a sharp fang managed to pierce the Gryffindor's arm. The King of Serpents fell down with a great crash, whereas the Gryffindor staggered back a few steps, the deadly poison in his veins spreading at a lightning speed.

"The evil wizard started taunting him – even the Gryffindor felt that he had only seconds till his end. But he chose to spend his last seconds fighting, and took nine heavy steps, using the power of the Sword of Gryffindor to banish the evil wizard from the Chamber. Then, he fell on the floor, victorious, but defeated at the same time.

"The girl woke from her slumber, saw the Gryffindor breathing his last breaths and started crying. Her tears moved the Phoenix so much, that he took pity of the foolishly brave Gryffindor. Landing near his bleeding wound, he sang and cried together with the girl. With each tear touching him, the Gryffindor's head cleared and he awoke from the sleep that could have been his last.

"Thus it was the Gryffindor that saved an innocent girl, defeated the King of Serpents, banished the evil wizard and survived to tell the tale. But remember – he couldn't have done anything without his friends, without understanding himself, nor without having someone to cry for him."

As Harry finished, the Greengrass sisters were staring at him open eyed. Hermione too, was stunned, as Harry didn't usually show any storytelling abilities. Fawkes was singing a silent, yet very heartening tune, having started sometime in the middle of the story, filling everyone with happiness and hope.

Karya leaned onto Harry and hugged him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, chestnut." Harry had the brightest of his smiles plastered on his face.

"Still, mother used to tell it differently."

His eyes' radiant green as powerful as never before, Harry laughed. "Daphne always had a flair for it."

Daphne almost had a heart attack.

There were a few quotes from Daphne's story.

The next update is written, but there will be some time till it get's posted here - I have to finish the fourth one before that. It's as I mentioned before - this story is going to be slow.