He was in a small cottage. An older man was standing by a window, wand raised, as if he was watching for something. Snape turned and found a woman, who must have been the man's wife, sitting in a chair beside a bed. He stepped closer to see what was happening. A young woman was lying in the bed, sweat and tears glistening on her face, holding a newborn baby. The older woman had a look of shock, mixed with pride and adoration for the child.
"Well she is lovely dear. What will you call her?"
The young woman looked at her newborn daughter and laughed a little, "Athelina; a different name for an unusual girl. I will let her choose her surname, her fathers or ours. She will know her own… history eventually and then she can decide."
Her mother smiled a little. "An excellent choice, very suiting."
Then the young woman's face clouded over with sadness. She looked up at her mother with new tears in her eyes. "Promise me you will take care of her. Don't let her forget who she is and why she's alive."
"What are you talking about dear, of course I'll take care of her but…" panic flashed across her face. Snape felt tension rise in the room. The father looked over from his post at the window with concern.
"You know this isn't safe for her. If we keep this up they will find us, and it will all be in vain. Can you imagine what he would do? The stress has put so much pressure on my body that I don't feel like I can make it much longer anyways. If you want to save her as much as I do, you will understand that I have to let him find me. " The last few words were barely audible, she was speaking so quietly, with her baby pulled close to her face. Her mother started to cry; her father turned silently and continued looking out the window.
The scene changed. It was a different house, but not much later. The baby had hardly grown. The older woman was holding her, crying silently. Her husband's arm was around her shoulder. The young woman, still looking rather frail, stood a few feet from the door.
"Remember, as soon as I leave the wards, go as fast as you possibly can. Don't wait, just take her and go. Make sure you keep her safe." Her mother nodded and began sobbing hard. Snape thought himself a hard man, but being thrown into this emotionally charged scene with impending death in the air made his chest tighten. He knew what was about to happen, and it was a memory so nothing could stop it. The girl whispered I love you to all three members of her family, and then walked silently out the door. There was a flash of green light and the scene changed again.
Snape opened his eyes, heart still racing from the events he just witnessed. He was still with the couple, but the child seemed to be 5 or 6 years old now. The girl was sitting in a chair by the fire, next to her grandmother. She was holding a frayed blue dress, staring at it very intently.
"Pink." She spoke softly, yet in a very commanding tone.
"I'm sorry dear, but I've told you we can't afford another dress". The woman glanced at the child and gasped. A proud smile spread across her face. As she stared at the dress it began fading from blue and slowly turned a very light pink. Athelina clapped her hands and put the dress down. Snape remembered the first time he showed magical capabilities. His mother was just as proud as this woman. The little girl's magic was very well controlled.
He spun into another scene, featuring the same woman and little girl. It may have been one or two years later. They were sitting in the same room, but the girl had lost the sense of energy and excitement that she emitted previously. Something about this memory seemed very sad. The woman turned suddenly as if she was gaining the courage to say something she had been thinking about for quite some time.
"Athelina my love, I want to tell you something very important. People have been saying the evil is gone, but there are still a lot of very bad people out there. It may never be safe for us. I want to make sure that you know what to do incase there is an emergency." She picked up an envelope and handed it to the girl. "If anyone comes here that you don't know, and we can't get to you, you have to leave immediately and find somewhere safe. Tell no one who you are. Only then should you read this letter. Can you do that?"
"Yes grandmother." It was the same soft voice, but its tone suggested far more maturity and burden than a young child should ever have known.
"You are a very special girl. I want you to remember that. This family has always sought to protect you, and there will always be good people in the world willing to do the same." She smiled softly, and her face faded.
Snape found himself in Dumbledore's office once again, a perplexed look upon his face.
"So, now you see what I had to work with to solve my mystery. I spent the evening revisiting the memory, something inside me refusing to admit what I was being shown. I'm sure you picked up on it Severus?" Dumbledore had a smile that was tinged with sadness.
There was a pause, as the perplexed look faded. Snape's eyes widened. "She was his daughter." The two stories fit together. The woman who was murdered was the Kinsey girl, and the older couple her parents. The remaining death eaters murdered them not long after the final memory took place.
"IS his daughter Severus. The reason the Kinsey's left in the first place, the reason they all died, to protect her from her own father. " It almost looked like a tear was forming in Dumbledore's eye.
"So how did she manage to survive for ten years? You went back to see her the next day did you not? He obviously hasn't discovered her."
"Patience my friend patience, I was getting there. Yes, I went back the next evening with many questions for this incredible young woman. I now understood why I had been so mesmerized and afraid when I saw her. She was a haunting image of Voldemort as I remembered him as a young man. The same dark penetrating eyes that knew exactly what they wanted. However, her eyes have nothing malicious behind them. She appeared in the same field, and walked me back to a small cabin where she has been living the past few years. She apparently didn't have a hard time finding places to live as a girl, but she moved around a lot when she noticed villagers getting too curious. She was fully aware of her history, and the importance of keeping it a secret. She found it easy to find older women who needed companions and someone to help with chores, and she would stay with them a while. The last woman she took care of passed away a little while before Voldemort's return, and left her the little cabin. She managed to support herself, but she was always searching for the person her grandmother had told her the memory was for."
"So I am going to assume, Albus, that you are not just telling me this story for amusement, and that it has something to do with my task." Snape's gall had returned, recovering fully from the emotional upheaval the memory had caused.
"Very observant of you." Dumbledore laughed, " Yes, it has something to do with your task. You see, Athelina is the daughter of a very talented wizard. She exhibits extraordinary power, but has never been able to get necessary training since she has been in hiding her entire life. I cannot put her in school with the children, and I wish for as few people to know about her as possible. In fact, you are the only person that knows. I feel that I can trust you Severus, and you are very talented. I was hoping you could take her into your care, teach her magic and keep her away from prying eyes. I cannot do it myself as I am often away, and I know you will do a wonderful job." He looked into Snape's eyes expectantly.
"Why me? I mean, why not ask another teacher? I'm sure they could do just as good a job. Of course I'm honored, but I'm supposed to be in constant contact with the dark lord. Isn't it dangerous to have me hiding his daughter?" Snape didn't need any more stress.
"On the contrary! If you are going to hide something from him, put it right under his nose! They keep a close watch on our side, as you well know. He fully expects the Order to be hiding something from him, but he would be far less likely to expect you. Plus, not to offend you Severus, but you tend to spend more of your time in solitude than the others. You have very private quarters, and others rarely visit. I feel that all signs point to you. I'm sure you will find her eager to learn, and very pleasant. Since the term is almost over, I propose bringing her to you at the end of the summer. I can take care of her until then, and you can use this time to prepare a few introductory lessons for her."
"Well, I suppose I can do that; as long as she isn't in my way... I can understand the seriousness of the situation." This was all very uncomfortable and confusing for him, but there was really no way he could disagree now.