Alright, so, I tried to clear up any confusion in this chapter. If anyone is still lost, mention it in a review and I'll get back to you.

Chapter Ten

He had to move quickly. Quirrell dashed from the forest up to the castle and slipped in a side entrance, all the while clutching a bottle to his chest. The girl had appeared at just the right time. The unicorns were a last resort to lengthen his life until such time as the stone could be acquired. It would let him survive, but only just. The potion he could make from the girl's blood would work much better.

His master was brilliant to suggest using that potion on the claws he'd created from his hands. The magic ensured that once struck, his victim would bleed until he wished otherwise, an effect which was about to come in handy.

He sat by the fireplace in his room once the preparations for the potion were complete, carefully examining the vial of red blood he held in his hand. His master had told him the liquid was potent, though not so much as the raw magic he'd tried to collect on Halloween. Quirrell smirked as he stood, moving to simmering cauldron to carefully add three drops of the moon girl's blood. He grinned as he watched three new drops materialize near the top and drip into the vial.

Dumbledore was a fool to think he could see past the Occlumency shields of his master. The Dark Lord had protected Quirrell's mind from losing the knowledge he needed of the girl and her power, thus allowing him time to find another way to harness it. He chuckled as he recalled the excuse he'd fed the

old coot about recognizing the girl for what she was, and the need to experiment on her to find out the effects of it on her body. The Headmaster had not been amused, and thought to put a stop to his research with a quick mind charm. Ha.

The particular potion he'd chosen for his task was designed to extract the maximum amount of magic from the blood drawn from her unwilling flesh. It would extend his life and ease the tax on his magic, all while lightening the unwanted effects of the unicorn blood that necessity had demanded he drink. Of course, one drawback was the constant need to drink the blood potion lest his borrowed strength fail, but once he had the stone he would be free of that as well.

Quirrell licked his lips as he stirred the potion clockwise thrice and added three more drops of blood. Soon, this potion would give him the strength needed to fetch the stone, and finally restore his master to power once and for all. Once he'd succeeded (and he would!), his master would reward him greatly.

Perhaps, if he was lucky, his master would let him keep the girl for the experiments he had told Dumbledore he was doing anyway.

Two more days and he would have all the blood he needed to complete the potion. One more week and the potion would be ready, then the stone would be his.

Serenity opened tired eyes when she heard the rustle of her curtains being pulled back. She'd been in the Hospital Wing for more than a day, and still her back ached horribly.

"Hey," called Draco softly. "How are you doing?" He made his way to her bedside, creeping past a sleeping Harry. "I brought you something." He laid an expensive-looking box of chocolates and a card on her bedside stand. "I see you're tired, so I'll come back later, alright? Get better soon. And Serenity..." Here, he looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, alright?"

Serenity nodded and yawned before the sleeping potion she'd taken won out and she slipped back into dreamland.

Two days later, with the pain in her back mostly gone and Harry shooed away by Madam Pomfrey, she gingerly started sorting through the gifts left on her stand. Her newly-mended back stretched and protested the movement, so she moved slowly.

Apparently, the rumor going around the school was that she'd protected Harry from some dangerous animal. As such, she had cards and well-wishes from students she'd never spoken to before. Harry was fine, of course, and he'd sent her some chocolate frogs and a copy of Hermione's notes. She groaned as she looked at them, figuring she'd better get a move on if she wanted to pass. But a few more letters wouldn't hurt, right?

The next one she picked up belonged to Draco. Tucked inside was a dirty, crumpled piece of parchment. Curious, she smoothed out the wrinkles and reread what turned out to be her Christmas letter, again coming to the mysterious postscript.

"Where in the world did he find this?...I am a riddle." She murmured. "Draco's barmy." She shook her head.

The curtain opened and she turned to see Professor Snape, potion in hand. Madam Pomfrey could be seen leaning over another bed, apparently administering Calming Draught to an older student.

"The last dose of your potion, Ms. Potter." He said, pouring it into a goblet and setting it on the stand. It was one he'd brewed himself, designed to overcome the poison which kept her back from healing. He moved to help her sit up, handling her with surprising gentleness and care. She accepted the goblet of purple liquid with a murmur of thanks, gulping down the thick liquid with a wince.

Snape took the goblet and set it on her stand before pulling a chair close to her bed and taking a seat, uninvited. "Since you seem to be nearly recovered, Ms. Potter, I believe it is time to discuss what you were doing in Forbidden Forest."

Serenity squirmed uncomfortably. Sure, she'd told Harry and the other girls in her year about Prince Diamond, but she somehow felt that telling Professor Snape would be different. Her eyes dropped to her lap, and she said nothing.

Snape's lips pressed together in a thin line. How could he protect the girl if he didn't know what to look out for? He was certain that Quirrell had something to do with it, but he could not prove it. All he could do was make sure that she stayed out of the forest. "I'm waiting Ms. Potter."

Serenity thought quickly. What to tell him? "I. . .I. . .I was worried about Harry. I was going to wait near the forest on the lawn, but I heard something and panicked. I. . .I was scared and went to find Harry." Well, it was partially the truth.

Snape did not look pleased. In fact, he looked downright furious. She'd heard from the older students that nobody had ever been able to lie to him because he could read minds. Apparently, the rumors were true.

He stood, snatching the goblet from the table and heading for the door. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for your stupidity Ms. Potter, and detention with me, starting after your last final and ending either when school lets out for the summer or you decide to tell me the truth."

Serenity stared at him, open-mouthed. She balled up the piece of parchment in her lap and hurled it after him in a temper.

He caught it without turning around. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Finals were, quite frankly, hell on parchment. By the end of the week Serenity was quite convinced she wouldn't have to serve her detentions with Snape because she was going to be chucked out of Hogwarts.

She was so nervous that during her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam she knocked her spare quill off the table without noticing. Professor Quirrell happened to be passing her desk at the time and retrieved it for her, placing it back on her desk with a nervous smile. He moved on down the row, pulling a corked bottle from his robes and taking a sip from it.

With their exams finished and only the grading left, most students headed out on the grounds to relax, but not her. Instead, she found herself in the dungeons, knocking on the door to Professor Snape's office.

"Enter." Came the professor's icy tone.

Serenity stepped inside, looking over the mess of dirty cauldrons left from the Potions finals earlier that day.

Snape sat at his desk with bottles of final potions around himself. "Sit." He ordered, pointing at a chair across from his desk. Nervous, she tripped over her own feet in her rush to do as told.

Snape eyed her, a cold fury emanating from him. "Now, do you care to tell me what you were really doing in the forest?"

Serenity shifted. "I told you the truth." She mumbled, her eyes not quite able to meet his.

"Look at me." He snapped. If his Serenity was doing something stupid and dangerous he would find out what, and he would put a stop to it, no matter the methods he had to employ.

Slowly, her eyes lifted. Images of her prince flitted before her eyes unwillingly, and Snape looked distinctly displeased. She saw Prince Diamond, first silhouetted by the sunset on the beach, then waiting for her just within the trees of the forest, stretching a hand to receive her, then presenting her with some lovely new gift, a smile on his face. Finally, he pulled her close, and she felt again the warmth of his arms around her, the safety and protection he offered.

Displeased? No, Professor Snape looked positively livid. "The cauldrons are are over there. You will clean them all without magic. Go!" She scampered away, daring a look over her shoulder. The professor grabbed at the nearest potion bottle to begin his grading, his face twisted in ugly anger. Serenity suddenly felt bad for the student whose bottle he held.

She worked for what felt like hours scrubbing the cauldrons clean. She soon learned to tell who had done well and who had not, judging by the state the cauldrons were in. Mr. Scratch-On-The-Underside had a cauldron that was relatively clean, with very little mess clinging to the sides. This, according to Prince's book, usually meant that the potion had gone well. Ms. Chipped-Top on the other hand, had a foul-smelling film clinging to her cauldron. She'd be lucky to pass. Mr. Gunky-Blue-Crap-Did-You-Ever-Pay-Attention-In-Potions-You-Git had-

"One more chance Ms. Potter. Do you care to tell me what you were doing in the forest?" Snape's clipped tones cut into her thoughts. He still sat at his desk, staring at her intently.

"No sir." She mumbled.

He looked sorely disappointed. "Dismissed,and I will see you the same time tomorrow." She escaped quickly. She was so exhausted that she didn't bother stopping to speak with anyone when she returned to Gryffindor Tower. She showered quickly and went straight to bed.

She did not notice that Hermione never came up to bed. She did not know that Professor Dumbledore had left the school. She didn't have a clue that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had decided to seek the Philosopher's Stone that night.

She didn't even notice when a quill floated out of her bag and landed on her shoulder.

Harry stood face to face with Voldemort. The latter smirked at him from the back of Professor Quirrell's head. "Oh yes Harry Potter. You will die, and I will rule. All I need is the stone and. . . my daughter."

Harry looked first startled, then disgusted. "Who in her right mind would sleep with you?!" He yelled, trying to distract Voldemort so he could inch towards the exit, the stone safely in his pocket.

Voldemort laughed. "Watch." He said. "Bring her!" He ordered Quirrell.

"Yes my Lord." Quirrell lifted his wand and cried "Portus Activus!"

Harry sucked in a breath. "No." He whispered.

Serenity startled awake as she appeared, floating in the air before Quirrell. She cried out in shock as she fell, and Quirrell reached out instinctively to catch her. She shrieked and Quirrell dropped her, casting a mumbled charm.

She stood silently, and Quirrell patted her head. "Good girl, my pretty little daughter." Voldemort said, sending Harry an evil smirk. Seeing that the boy was sufficiently distracted, he hissed "Kill him."

Serenity watched with empty eyes as they fought. She did not react when Quirrell pinned Harry to the floor and tried to strangle him. She took only a single faltering step forward when Harry grabbed Quirrell's face, and his flesh turned to dust. Only when Voldemort exited Quirrell's body and left him for dead did she finally escape the spell.

"No!"

Voldemort shot forward and slammed into Harry, knocking the boy to the floor. Harry hit his head and fell unconscious, the Philosopher's Stone in his limp hand. Voldemort moved for a second blow.

"NO!" She darted forward, diving to cover Harry's still form with her own.

"Stand aside." His voice was a mere whisper. It was everywhere, and nowhere.

"No." She shook her blond head furiously. Voldemort shot forward, and would have tried to possess her as well, had Dumbledore not finally arrived.

Quirrell's body lay outstretched, reaching for a shattered potion bottle. A single drop of crimson potion glinted in the firelight of the chamber.

(Scene break)

Snape awoke abruptly in his quarters, feeling a certain weight lifting from his person. It took him a moment to place it. "She knows."

He leaped from his bed and pulled his cloak on over his gray nightshirt, pocketed a crumpled piece of parchment on his bedside table, and took off at a dead run to find her. It was only by luck that he found the Headmaster outside of the Hospital Wing. Snape skidded to a stop, his eyes wild with triumph.

"She knows!" He nearly shouted, laughing with the joy welling in him. "She knows, and you can't keep her from me anymore!"

"Severus-" As the details of the evening were recounted to him, Severus felt himself grow cold. His hand dropped to his pocket, feeling the parchment within. It was now certain that Voldemort knew his daughter still lived. The parchment in his pocket assured him that the Malfoys also knew this.

What they did not know, however, was that Voldemort wanted his child dead.

Dumbledore admitted to Harry and Serenity that Voldemort had, unfortunately, spoken the truth regarding Serenity. The Dark Lord had fathered her, and no, they were not as closely related as they had been led to believe. He did hope, however, that neither would hold a grudge over it. He mentioned nothing of her mother.

Neither child seemed to know how to handle this bit of information, and even when they finally joined the Leaving Feast they did not speak a word to each other.

Draco made his way to Serenity as soon as he spotted her, his smug look fully in place. "Serenity, my father said to tell you that he's doing everything he can to become your guardian, and as soon as the Ministry allows it he'll come for you. Until then, however, you're stuck with Potter." He spat Harry's name like a curse.

Harry watched this exchange with narrowed eyes. Serenity looked startled. "Why would your father want to do that?" She asked, clearly bewildered.

A satisfied smirk spread over his features. "Why, Serenity, didn't you know? Our mothers are sisters. That makes us first cousins."

Thank you to my Chapter Nine reviewers Rakusa, Anexia, LadyArcana81 (as always!), and Lily Marie Wolfe.

This wraps up book one. Next chapter, on to book two!