AN: Thank you everyone who has reviewed my story. I really appreciate all the positive feedback.


Settling In

Kelly stormed down the corridors, fuming. She didn't think she had ever been this furious before. Ho boy, when she had decided it was past time to shake things up a bit when it came to people and their views on Harry Potter, never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that this would happen.

Just who did McGonagall think she was? What gave her the right to disapprove of her and how she was living her life? Was this why she had always been so strict and stern around Harry Potter? Why she had been so… judgmental?

Kelly felt a cold fist clench around her heart. To think that she had actually thought that McGonagall was on her side. Not someone you could confide in exactly, but someone who believed in her and would do everything to assist her if she needed the help.

A fresh wave of fury surged through her, causing Kelly to hiss in anger. "I bet you expected me to be just like dad, huh, Professor? But guess what, Professor," she fairly spate out the title, "I bet my dad wasn't belittled, bullied, and abused by his family. Or worked like a house-elf for that matter. Of course he could be carefree and prank anything in sight, he was the great Marauder! The leader of a gang!

"So sorry to disappoint, you - not! I'm not going to become just like Dudley just to make you happy! Argh! I can't believe that woman!" Kelly gritted out through clenched teeth, fighting the urge to tear at her hair and scream.

"Hem, hem, and why is it that we are not in class?" a most unwelcome voice purred behind her, causing Kelly to freeze. Looking heavenward, she rolled her eyes; couldn't she get just one small break today?

Plastering on a fake smile, Kelly turned around and faced the speaker. "Hello, Professor, I was on my way to see my Head of House."

Umbridge looked the girl up and down and sneered. It turned her already ugly face into something truly appalling, and Kelly was hard pressed to hide a shudder. The cubs apparently didn't like her either, and it was all she could do to stop them from attacking the toady woman.

"Miss Potter, I presume?" Umbridge stated more than asked, a hard glint in her beady eyes.

"Yes, Professor, I'm Kelly Potter," Kelly replied, not needing another detention at the moment.

"Humph. Yes, the Headmaster told us of your… mishap. Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really should have paid more attention in class, shouldn't you, Miss Potter? Then again, that is something that is outside your capability, isn't it? You are much more apt at thinking up lies and spreading them around."

Kelly barely refrained from rolling her eyes and sigh. "Do I have your permission to leave, Professor? As I said, I'm on my way to see my Head of House."

"I was not aware that Minerva McGonagall had moved her office down to the dungeons," Umbridge said with a shark like smile.

"I wasn't on my way to see Professor McGonagall."

"Please, don't tell me, you are going to claim that Severus Snape is your Head of House? Oh, this I must see. Very well, young lady, lead the way," Umbridge said, her smile turning into something that was oozing with smugness and glee.

Kelly turned around to continue her trek, and this time she did allow herself a good eye roll. She had always known that the toad was stupid, but not being able to see that the crest on her school robe had changed… Or was she just too stupid to even bother to look?

Either way, the upcoming confrontation would not sit well with the Defence professor. Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't sit well with Snape either. Kelly had hoped to be able to catch the man alone so that she could more fully explain what had happened and why she had demanded a re-sorting. Ah, well, it was too late now.

Besides, I've lived through worse, right? I mean, what could a House filled with snakes do that hadn't already been done? Kelly asked herself. Her mind happily supplied her with plenty of images at that thought, and she immediately felt sorry for even thinking that question. Talk about jinxing oneself!

Arriving at Snape's office, Umbridge didn't wait for Kelly to nock. She merely pushed the girl out of the way and barged inside, calling out a cheerful 'hem, hem' that made everyone who heard it cringe.

"To what do I owe this displeasure?" Severus asked, clearly not happy having his conversation with Draco Malfoy interrupted.

"I came across a student out of class, and since she wouldn't tell me what she was doing, in fact she had the gall to lie me in the face, I naturally brought her here so that you could call upon her outrageous behaviour. Apparently Potter can't tell the truth no matter what shape he wears." Umbridge tittered in a sickening sort of way, which she probably thought sounded girlish, and Kelly just knew that she was thinking of their detentions.

Looking down at the floor Kelly bit her lip to hide her smirk. Umbridge didn't know it, but Kelly had found a way to get her back for that quill, and if her information was correct, then the payback would be just as painful as the usage of the thing was.

"I see," Severus drawled, although in truth he didn't. "And what lie did the girl produce?" he asked his colleague, although is gaze never left the small form standing next to her. Severus had made it a point to look at Umbridge as little as possible. He might have to stomach facing Voldemort, but nowhere in his job description did it say that he had to look at ugly toads. Especially ugly toads that behaved like teenaged girls.

Kelly looked up at Snape. No way was she going to let Umbridge tell him this news. "I told her I was coming to see my Head of House. For some reason she chose not to believe me," she stated simply, subtly standing up straighter, giving Snape a clear view of the new crest adorning her robe.

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "Did you now? I must say that I am most eager to hear how this change came about. Mr. Malfoy, I do apologise, but it looks like we will have to postpone our conversation. I will set aside another time for you shortly."

"Yes sir, I quite understand," Draco said smoothly, rising to his feet with grace and elegance. "Professor," he said with a graceful little bow, waiting for the woman to move out of the doorway so he could leave, only Umbridge was too busy glaring daggers at Snape to notice him.

Kelly rolled her eyes and moved aside to give him room to pass, earning herself a startled look from the two men.

"How can you even begin to believe that outrageous story, Severus?" Umbridge managed to splutter, her amble bosom heaving in indignation. "Clearly the girl is lying, and you playing along with her delusions will not cure her of this most unfortunate inclination of hers."

Severus lifted an elegantly shaped eyebrow. "What lie? If you had bothered to look at her robe, you would have noticed that Miss Potter is now wearing the Slytherin Crest."

"Yes, yes, yes, I did see that," Umbridge snorted, covering up the fact that she hadn't seen it extremely badly. "That just proves how far she will go to support her lies-"

"Professor, if you had bothered to research the rules of the school before taking up a position here, you would have known that a student cannot change the crest on their robes. That safety precaution was instated by the Founders to ensure that no student could put the blame of their misdeeds on the wrong House. Now, if you will excuse us, it looks like I have a new student to tend to. And a few explanations that needs to be given. Good day to you, madam."

Umbridge spluttered, but there wasn't really anything she could do, so she left in a huff, slamming the door behind her.

A pregnant silence filled the office once the sound of the slam had died down. Kelly gave Snape an uncertain look; this was new territory after all. The man did not have a history of being kind, or even fair, to her, and he could easily make the rest of her life at Hogwarts a miserable hell. Nope, this was not what she had pictured when she came up with her, at the time, brilliant idea.

"Why don't you have a seat, Miss Potter? I find that I am burning up with curiosity to find out how this extraordinary occurrence came about," Severus said, gesturing towards the chair Draco had vacated moments earlier.

Kelly took a deep breath and complied. "My apologies for disturbing you, Professor," she began, not certain how to explain now that she was face to face with Snape, not to mention that she no longer was being buoyed by her fury.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Malfoy will keep. So, you have been re-sorted. May I ask whose brilliant idea that was?" Severus asked, waiving the girl's apology aside. He was telling the truth, he truly was dying to find out how Potter had come to be re-sorted, and into his House.

Kelly blushed and looked down at her fidgeting fingers. "Not many know this, sir, apart from the Headmaster of course," she added with a snort, "but the Sorting Hat wanted to place me in Slytherin. But I had already been influenced by Hagrid to believe that all wizards from that House had gone bad. Since I was desperate to get friends, I really didn't want to go to that House, so I pleaded with it to put me anywhere but there. It complied. I'm sorry, sir," she added, glancing up at Snape through her lashes.

Severus was frowning in displeasure, but refrained from saying anything.

Kelly took that as a sign to go on, and so she did, telling him all about McGonagall's behaviour before, during, and after their shopping trip.

Severus listened with growing incomprehension. Minerva had always been a staunch defender of Harry Potter. What had changed? Surely her feelings hadn't changed that drastically just because the boy had been accidentally turned into a girl? Determined to get to the bottom of that mystery later, Severus turned his focus on what to do with Potter now. He, or rather, she, had indeed been re-sorted. She was a Slytherin now. Severus was not happy with that outcome of events. Potter had no business being a snake.

But the boy is a Parselmouth, his traitorous mind reminded him. And there are no denying that there are a lot of similarities between Potter and Tom Riddle. Does this mean that the Muggles had abused this boy as well? No, surely Albus would never have allowed his Golden Boy to suffer? But, according to Kelly, the hat wanted to put her in Slytherin when she first came here, and the hat is never wrong. It can be persuaded, yes, but its first choice is always, always, the most suitable one for the student.

Bugger, that means that Potter really does belong among my snakes. Oh joy! Making a mental shake of his head, Severus refocused on his most hated student.

"Very well, I suppose a welcome is in order," he said somewhat ungracefully, but just because he accepted the situation, didn't mean that he had to like it.

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate it," Kelly murmured with a small, shy smile.

"We will need to move you closer to the dungeons. I am aware that the Headmaster gave you your own rooms, but you are a Slytherin now, and my snakes stick together. I believe I know just the place to put you," Severus mused, getting to his feet.

Not particularly liking how that had been phrased, Kelly nevertheless got to her feet as well, following the imposing figure without saying a word.

They walked in silence, with Kelly taking careful note of the way, not wanting to get lost. When Snape finally came to a halt, she was a bit surprised to notice that they were close to the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Maybe, just maybe, the Potions master would be decent to her after all.

"This will be your room, Miss Potter," Severus said, giving the girl beside him a quick glance. "The password is 'draconian amore'. The entrance to the Slytherin common room is the blank wall over there, and the password to that one is 'sleep of the living death'. I would advice against going in there until the situation has been fully explained to your new Housemates. I will do that tonight after dinner. I suggest you eat your meal in your room, and I will come and get you when it is time to meet with the Slytherins. I will also talk to Minerva and sort out the situation with the detentions she assigned you."

"Thank you, Professor. Um, sir, there is one more thing I need to talk to you about," Kelly added when it looked like the man was about to turn away and leave.

"Why am I not surprised?" Severus sighed, but he turned back around and entered the private rooms nevertheless.

"Um, something happened while I was in Diagon Alley," Kelly began somewhat nervous.

"Naturally," Severus drawled, wondering what could have happened to put Potter in such a state. His suspicious mind happily began to supply him with suggestion, the next more unpleasant than the last.

"Well, you see, I was on my way to Flourish and Blotts when I heard something. I went to investigate and came face to face with three most unpleasant individuals," Kelly went on, shuddering at the memory of their unwashed bodies and their leering. Their odour had done nothing to improve the already nasty smell of the side street.

"Naturally," Severus said once more, this time with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Kelly managed to ignore him. "They were shooting curses at something inside a crate. I stunned them and opened the crate, and well, they were so cute and they followed me home, what was I to do? I can keep them, right?" Kelly sent her House of Head a most cute and whimsical smile, hoping to surprise a yes out of him before he had time to think. Her strategy failed miserably.

Severus had listened to Potter's halting story with increasing worry, and when she pulled out her wand and pointed it at thin air, he was beginning to worry about her sanity. When he saw a large, padded box appear from that thin air, he began to worry about his own sanity, especially when two winged cubs emerged from it, throwing themselves at Potter with happy meows.

"What in Salazar's name are those?!" he asked, hoping against hope that he was seeing things.

"Aren't they the most adorable and cute things you've ever seen?" Kelly gushed, scratching the cubs behind the ears.

"You did not answer my question," Severus said somewhat ominously.

Kelly sighed, but obediently dropped her 'little girl' act. Snape was clearly not buying it. Maybe if she worked on it a bit? After all, she hadn't been a girl for that long. "I don't know what they are; I haven't exactly had time to do any research on the subject. I couldn't just leave them in the alley, so I was trying to coax them to come to me while trying to figure out where I could take them. Does the wizarding world have veterinarians?" She cast a glance at Snape and quickly got the rest of her story out before he hexed her. "BeforeIcould decidewhattodooneofthembitmeandapparentlybondedwithme," she got out in a rush.

"I beg your pardon?"

Kelly hung her head and sighed. "Before I could decide what to do, one of them bit me and apparently bonded with me."

"One of them bit you?" Severus asked, wanting to make sure he had heard the girl correctly.

Kelly nodded. "In the wrist," she told him, holding said wrist out for him to examine.

"Which one was it?" Severus asked, sounding almost terse.

Kelly gave him a worried look. This did not sound good. "This little fellow," she answered him, stroking the smaller of the cubs, "the one with the white spot. Do you know what they are?"

"I have my suspicions. However, they only bond with…" Severus trailed off, giving Kelly a look that was a mix of shock, speculation, and a dawning realisation.

"Professor?"

Severus became business like, abruptly letting go of the wrist he'd been holding, his face shuttering until nothing could be read from it. "When we are in private, or among fellow Slytherins, you may call me Severus. I think I know what those cubs are, but I need to do some research to be absolutely sure. Since one of them has bonded with you, you may keep them. In fact, if I am correct, the bond cannot be broken or interfered with in anyway. Be prepared, however, that one of them will most probably find someone else to bond with," he warned.

"I would suggest keeping them out of sight of Professor Umbridge, since she does not strike me as a person who would tolerate their presence," Severus said, eyeing the cats with an almost calculating look.

"On second thought, keep them invisible until I have had time to do some research. If they are what I think they are it would be safer for you to keep them hidden for the time being."

Kelly gave him a concerned look. Something was going on, only she had no idea what. But for Snape… um, Severus to be this hedgy… "I will, Professor."

"Good. Until this evening then," Severus said, making his way out of the suite.

"Um, thank you, Professor, er, Severus," Kelly called after him as he left the room. She had to admit that she was more than a little bit startled by his abrupt behaviour. And what was it with those weird looks? Clearly he knew more than he was telling, but then again, half the bloody wizarding world knew more than she did! She could only hope that Snape would be more forthcoming with information than Dumbledore was.

Rubbing her temples in hopes of stemming the headache she was feeling building, Kelly looked down at her new charges. "You," she said with decision, "are in dire need of a bath. Dobby?"

"Master Potter… what happened to you, Master Potter?" Dobby asked, looking somewhat confused. Kelly supposed that she couldn't fault him for that.

"Hi, Dobby. I had an accident in Potions. I'm Kelly Potter until the effect wears off. I was wondering, I've been moved to these rooms, could you get my things from my old one? Oh, and find out what Professor McGonagall did with the things she was carrying for me while we were shopping?"

"Dobby will do that," Dobby said with an eager nod.

"Thank you," Kelly smiled, watching the happy elf pop out with a crack. Bending down, she scooped the cubs up and went in search of the bathroom. As she had expected, it contained a rather large bathtub, and she got the water started, making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold.

The cubs were purring happily, almost clamouring to get into the water, causing Kelly to laugh at their antics. Transfiguring a few washcloths into suitable bath toys, she settled on the edge to watch the cubs play, making sure they didn't accidentally hurt themselves.