Disclaimer: Finally I'm back after a lot time of absence from this story and guess what! I actually do own the rights to Harry potter now! (Long paused as I try not to laugh...bust out laughing and hitting the wall) April fools! (someone comes over to me while I'm cracking up and whispers something in my ear) w...what? What do you mean its not April first...(more whispers) it's not even April! Damn...I have been gone for a long time...oh well...I'm Maximumride-Fang and I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings in this chapter: Gleeful red heads, Yummy yummy food food, nostalgia, Blushing Blonds, quiet ravens, unstable brunette, poor Cho, Dursley...(shiver), Royalty?, Strange occurrences, Purple purple and more purple, UBF- unidentified black familiar, surprise it's Calbist!, Long winded speeches, hatred of purple people, you woke me up to do what?, friendly snakes, glow in the dark blonde, the strangest disappearing act.

A/N:Sorry I haven't been posting in a while. I was experiencing extreme writer's block and then I ended up have to do finals so I had to study instead of work on this, then my grandmother died and I had to mourn her and a wedding occurred so I had to celebrate and finally I had to clean my room. Yes...the last few months have been certainly busy.

LIONS AND SNAKES

Chapter 10: Food for thought

Snape pov

I sat there at the head table pondering the name that had just been called with more the meager interest. I managed to hide that interest well though. I was not about to allow anyone to know how much this concerned me so allowed my face (which for the briefest moment had shown shock) to become entirely blank as I stared at Samantha.

The name Riddle made my mouth dry long before I could attempt to say it. Riddle...it couldn't possibly be the same Riddle that had terrorized the wizarding world all those years ago. The girl before me couldn't possibly be the spawn of such a horrible man. This was the same girl that had stayed in my home for weeks now, this was the girl who smiled so lovingly at her friend that it could be considered more of a look between a mother and daughter rather then companions, this was the same girl who a few days ago had manage to subconsciously smile at me...not a smirk or a mocking grin...but a real smile that warmed my heart. She couldn't truly be the daughter of Voldemort.

Even as the hat was placed upon her head and it spoke quietly to her I couldn't believe what Minerva had said. This girl was nothing like the dark lord. The list of names, even if it was run by magic and considered infallible, was wrong. The Hat shouted out the name of the house that she would be joining only moments after it had been placed on her head. When I heard Slytherin my fears did not lessen. She would be under my care and I did enjoy that...but it only made me wonder further...There were so many Riddles...was she the offspring of the one that everyone at the head table was surely thinking of.

The young blond stood up and allowed Minerva to take the sorting hat from her. She seemed to glide across the floor with a graceful ease as she walked. As everyone settle down Dumbledore stood and looked over the crowd.

"To our newcomers welcome! To our old hand—welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not in it. Tuck in."

I sighed but allowed a small smirk to appear on my lips as I saw Arianna's face light up when food appeared. I nearly laughed as she started piling her plate sky high with the many dishes that were set on the table. Certainly her eyes were bigger then her stomach. I turned my face towards my own plate and started to fill it as well. I looked to the side to find that the chair next to me was empty. It concerned me to some degree but I just shrugged it off. Why be concerned when one did not have to.

As I ate I allowed myself to look over the tables watching with eyes of a hawk for anything out of place. I looked at the my own house table. My eyes fell upon Samantha first and I allowed myself to take in the almost gleeful look of nostalgia that she held upon her face. I didn't know what she was thinking about but I could tell she was remembering times of a happier sort because of her genuine smile she had. She sat at the Slytherin table between my god son Draco and Arianna and she seemed to be quite at home sitting there. She sent Draco a teasing look and said something that I could not hear. I can only imagine that it was a scathing remark by the glare that she got in return. Arianna commented from beside them and the two blonds blushed deeply before turning away from each other with folded arms. Ari only giggled and went back to talking with a girl whom I knew to be called Pansy Parkinson. I laughed quietly to myself and received many strange looks from the people around me. Minerva seemed quite shocked. She hadn't heard me laugh in years but she allowed herself a small smile all the same. Albus's look was warm and knowing while everyone else was just confused and nervous. They probably thought I had gone crazy or something. Conan O'card just sat at the table seeming relatively quiet though comfortable between Draco and Blaise almost as though he knew them and they had been friends for a long time.

Ravenclaw was right next to my table and there was only one person of interest that sat there. Serena Lopez. From what I was told she was truly an unusual case. Kick out of six magic schools all over the world and turned away by two mentors sense she started receiving a magic education, from when she was five years old in Mexico to now in Europe. Most of the schools she had attended were in France but even they turned her away after some time. Hogwarts had really been her last resort. Most of her old teachers told us that she was quite disturbed and had been so for many years ever sense the death of her parents. On more occasions than one the girl had been seen talking to herself in empty classrooms and in nearby wooded areas. Even on her way to school. Dumbledore, however, deemed her fit enough to attend so long as her aunt would be accompanying her this year as a new teacher.

I continued to watch her with meager interest. When I was just about to turn my eyes away her head popped up and she looked around...her eyes fell on Cho Chang...no...not on her...more like just beyond her. Cho seemed rather distraught as she moved the food around on her plate not taking one bite. A small gust of wind, probably caused by a clumsy house elf appearing and disappearing, blew some of her hair out of her face. Serena stared at that area beyond the girls head for several moments before her hand rose up slightly and waved as though there was a person there. Cho was rather shocked for a moment but she smiled weakly and waved back thinking that Serena had been waving at her. Afterward Cho turned back to her plate and took her first bite of food of the meal.

Nothing was out of place at the Hufflepuff table but things rarely were. The last one I looked at was the Gryffindor table. They seemed quieter then usually though really I wasn't complaining about it. Those brats really needed to settle down and shut up once in a while. My eyes caught sight of one of then newer students. Dudley Dursley was it? I can certainly say that the name surprised me. I truly hate to admit to myself that I was well acquainted with a woman with that last name though at the time she had been Petunia Evans not Petunia Dursley. She was rude, close minded, and just a real horror to be around. If this boy was anything like his mother I truly feared for the Gryffindor house and its students.

A red headed boy with chocolate brown eyes sat right next to him and I recognized him as one of the boys found near the tracks. He still wore a beautiful royal robe that fit him perfectly. The boy seemed quite nervous and excited as he looked over at the Slytherin table. His eyes seemed to travel back and forth between Conan O'card to Arianna. The look he would give the Conan boy was that of uncertainty and fear while he gave Ari a look full of deep admiration and hope. Once in a while the sympathetic blue eyes of a boy would stare back at him with a look meant to reassure the young redhead.

The last one at the Gryffindor table that I decided to look at was Harry Potter. I was rather surprised to see him so focused as he stared at Arianna from across the great hall. A lot of people seemed focused on Arianna I suppose. I drew in a sharp breath as I found myself looking into green eyes. It seemed almost impossible but even from this distance I could see them with clarity. They held pain and confusion so deep that it actually hurt to look at them. I turned my head away quickly and started to eat once again.

As time pass the food disappeared from the table and I watched Ari's eyes again fill with wonder at seeing simple magic. Dumbledore stood up. "Well now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices."

"First of all all first years ought to know that the forest of the grounds is out of bounds to students-and a few older students should know that by now to."

I couldn't help but smirk at that and I wasn't surprised to see the terrible trio at the Gryffindor share a look similar to my own...no one ever followed that rule. I didn't follow it when I was a student, I'm sure Minerva didn't when she was young, and God knows Albus didn't. Honestly the old man should really just discontinue the rule.

Dumbledore continued. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes," Another rule that was never followed. "Nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We also have three changes in staffing this year, We are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lesson; the young miss Umbridge will be taking over as our Defense Against the Dark Art teacher." An almost smug smirk formed on my lips...a sure sign that he didn't like Umbridge. He hadn't acknowledged her as a professor. Both professors stood and received hesitant applauds.

"And I regret to announce that Professor Trelawney will not be returning to teach this year. A mental breakdown that occurred last year has placed her in St. Mungos psychiatric ward for an undetermined amount of time. Let wish for good health for her and hope that she may return next year. Her replacement is..." He trailed off and looked at the chair next to me seemed a bit unnerved and confused. "...Not here."

The Great Hall doors slammed open and a young blond woman rushed inside. She ran up to the head table and stopped right in front of it. The woman was dressed in a dark violet belly shirt with lighter bell bottom pants. A single large pocket ran down the right side. A head band with a purple feather was wrapped around her head loosely. She placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. A small book was clenched tightly in her hand but I couldn't see what the title was. The breathing finally calmed and she stood up straight. My eyes went rather wide in an almost comical way. She was...the woman from Diagon Alley. Its quite difficult to surprise me...normally I like to think that I'm one step ahead of Fate but this made me question that.

She smiled a child like smile and looked up at Dumbledore with sparkling almost familiar blue eyes, "Sorry sorry...I had been unpacking my things and hadn't realized that I had missed so much of the feast...did anyone maybe save me a plate of food?"

To my surprise McGonagall laughed and pushed a plate that hadn't vanished over to the seat next to me. The blond cheered and ran around the other side of the table to sit down. "I had a feeling that you had just forgotten so I did save you some, now eat up dear."

As the young woman sat down she gave me a big tooth filled smile and turned to her food. She ate quite fast and clumsily with an extreme lack of manners. Quite a few people found themselves just watching her. The way she ate reminded me of someone but I couldn't quite place where I had seen such a spectacle.

All of a sudden a small black head peaked out of her pocket and took something from her plate. It had been so fast that I hadn't even really seen the details of it or what it had been. It startled me so much that I had to tilt away from her in surprise. She only giggled at my fear, "Don't be scared it's just my familiar." Her hand took a bit of food from her plate and held it at the opening of her pocket. A head quickly peaked out and stole the food. It was still to fast to really see. She laughed. It was a musical sound and I found myself laughing a bit nervously along with her. Yes...the people around us truly must think I'm crazy now. Never have I laughed so much in one day or at all for that matter, in the last few years.

Dumbledore who was still standing shook his head to clear it, "Yes well...I am please to introduce to you your new Divination teacher for the year...Professor Kikite Calbist..." And with those last two words my heart nearly stopped. Her smile seemed to become even brighter and the laugh warmer. It was...it was Calbist...

Samantha pov

I raised an eyebrow at what I had just heard. I was shocked to see her...quite shocked in fact. I hadn't seen this woman in nearly...how many years? I shook my head. This was unbelievable, simply unbelievable. I took a deep breath and sighed through my nose as I tried to calm myself. I could have accepted anyone else for a professor other then her. I could have been fine with my own God damn father so long as I didn't have to be near her again. My fist clenched and unclenched slowly until I finally managed to control myself again.

Dumbledore continued to speak, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the..."

The old man was interrupted by Professor Umbitch clearing her throat. I sneered slightly in distaste but listened anyway. Didn't this woman know that you're not suppose to interrupt your elders. She stood up and it became clear that she was fully intent on making a speech of her own. "Thank you, Headmaster...for those kind words of welcome.

Her voice was shrill and girly. It took every once of my own self control not to stand up and duck tape her mouth shut. She continued and that urge grew slightly but I held it down, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!" I snorted and gave her an extra hard glare and sneer to prove just how wrong she was.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends."

'or enemies?' I thought a bitterly.

She cleared her throat for the umpteenth time within the last few minutes and her voice became more professional and sure. It was as if she had rehearsed each word over and over again to be sure that she got the entire thing right. I found that without the shrill pitch that her voice had possessed only moments before, I liked her even less. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching." She bowed to the other teachers around her, none of which bowed back...I almost laughed...I wouldn't have bowed back either.

She seemed a bit nervous now as the dislike the other people held for her became more obvious. She continued more hesitantly. "Yes well...Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning whatever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat back down slowly and Dumbledore stood. He clapped and soon others joined in. First the teachers and then the students. I snorted slightly. Had they not been paying attention to what the woman just said. It seemed like the Ministry wanted to over step there boundaries this year and Umbridge was their official spokes person. As I scanned the room I only noticed two sets of hands not applauding the woman's horrid speech. I smirked to myself. One set was Snape's hands. They were set in his lap and he was staring at that woman with slight annoyance and boredom. I had to smile at that. Because of the well hidden look of distaste he had while staring at the woman I was quite sure that we had the same opinion of her.

I looked over at the woman next to him and scowled openly. Her hands were at her side and her face was blank. I knew her well enough to know that she also shared the same opinion. I didn't want to share her opinion though. I didn't want to to be connected to her at all. Not after what she did...after what I did. She abandoned me...and I abandoned in a way as well. I knew that she would forgive me easily for my folly but I also knew that I could never forgive her for hers. Her folly...had doomed me to years of pain and uncertainty. I could never forgive her for that. Never...

Harry pov

The moment the feast ended I rushed out of the Great Hall. The startled look that Hermione and Ron gave me was ignored as my pace quickened even more. A sister...or a cousin...or I don't even know what she could be...all I knew was that I had family and no one had told me. Not Dumbledore, not Professor Lupin, not even Sirius. They had all lied to me. I ripped the Marauder's Map out of a small pocket in my robes and activated it. It took me a moment to find what I was looking for. A passage...into the Headmaster's office other then the one behind the gargoyle. A small passage in could be found by going to a certain the third floor classroom and tapping a small loose stone that was at the front. Needless to say it didn't take me long to get there.

I entered the room swiftly and the door slammed behind me. My anger seemed to grow when I heard the loud noise and I did nothing to push it down. Professor Dumbledore would deserve every drop of anger he would receive from me. I knelt down in the front of the classroom and searched fervently. When I found the loose stone I didn't just tab it. I smacked it hard. This was a bad idea on my part. The stones shifted away quickly and I fell forward down what appeared to be some sort of slide. Once the slide ended I was spit out of a hole in the wall. I looked back at the wall behind me...a painting slowly shifted back into place to cover it.

I stood up slowly and looked around. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his seat just a few feet away facing away from me. He knew I was here though...I could tell he just knew. I approached his desk slowly. The anger that I had was starting to fade but I tried to hold onto it as long as I could. My hands brushed against the surface of the table and I fought to find my voice.

"Why...why didn't you tell me Professor..." I winced at how weak and sad my voice sounded. I needed anger and strength...not this. "Just...why?"

He turned around to face me. He was smiling at me but the usual twinkle seemed to have dulled a bit sense the feast and with that my anger dulled to, until it was entirely gone, "Oh? Harry my boy...good to see you in my office...Can't say I'm very surprised though...lemon drop?"

"No...no thanks," I sat down in a chair slowly feeling exhausted. The anger that I had was now replaced with sadness and confusion. "Sir?"

"Yes Harry...?"

"Why...?" It didn't take much more then that. He knew what I was asking. Dumbledore knew everything.

"Harry...," The old man sighed and rearranged himself in his chair, "She was thought to be dead for years Harry...I didn't want to tell you because I felt that it might burden you to know that more then two loved ones had been taken away from you because of Voldemort. Perhaps I was wrong to not tell you about her but I swear to you that I was thinking of your best interests. I was hoping to tell you about her one day when you were ready."

"What..." my throat felt dry and the next words out of my mouth were in a whispers, "What is she to me sir...?"

His eyes twinkled slightly though it seemed a bit dimmer then usually and he smiled at me, "She's you sister Harry...your twin sister."

Snape pov

It had been hours sense the Feast and I had long sense settled myself into an old chair near the fire place to read. Not that I really did much reading. My mind kept wondering back to thoughts of the same person over and over again. Calbist...Calbist was here in Hogwarts. That fact seemed almost surreal. It just didn't seem possible. I slowly fell asleep with that thought in mind.

Hours later I was startled by a shrill shriek that came from my fireplace. I peaked over at it to see the face of Dolores Umbridge staring up at me from the green flames. Was the woman really so rude as to call at this hour? I sat up more trying to wake myself up further. Upon further inspection I discovered that she looked rather tired and quite startled herself. I brought myself to full attention waiting for her reason for this late night call.

"Severus you must come to my office now! there is some sort of...Creature in this room and I need you to come here and kill it right now!." I was taken back by her words for a moment. This was...certainly a first. Most of the staff took care of their own pest problems. "Please! I can't get into my bedchamber because of it...oh please wont you come and help me!"

I sighed and stood up a bit shakily because of my tiredness, "Stand back a bit...I'll come through and get rid of the bloody thing."

her face disappeared from the fire but the flames remained green. I walk through quickly and smoothly appearing inside the woman's office...she was in the corner pointing towards her desk looking horrified. My eyes followed her own gaze and they finally landed on something black slithering on the floor. A loud hissing sound could be heard. I stepped forward trying to get a better look at it and brought out my wand to give myself some light.

I inhaled sharply as its features were fully revealed to me. It was a female Black Viper. I gulped and took a chance on something. My hand slowly reached out and stroked its head, "Kree?"

The snake blinked it's at me and rubbed my hand almost affectionately, "It is you Kree...isn't it...?" The snake continued to rub on me happily.

I was about to pick the snake up when it suddenly slithered away. It passed Umbridge and she screamed loudly. I followed just behind it as fast as I could. It was out the door of the classroom before I could stop it. Through halls and doorways and even up a flight of stairs I followed it feeling a strange sense of Déjà vu as I did. As I turned on a corner I stopped dead in my tracks. Someone was standing in the middle of the large space...a woman? A soft glow seemed to come off her pale skin and blond hair though I couldn't quite see her face. She picked Kree with complete ease and stroked the snakes head. I still couldn't see her face.

I took a step forward and I gulped. My voice was filled with hope, "Calbist...?"

The blonds head snapped up and she back away slowly. She turned around quickly and ran away. I tried to follow but found myself unable to at first. When had she become so fast? Or maybe I've just become slower. Finally I managed to catch up to her and as I reached out to grab her arm she ran into one of the girls bathrooms. The door slammed shut behind her before I could do anything. As I opened the door the glow appeared to be gone. Both Calbist and Kree seemed to be gone as well. I stood there just looking into the room for several moments before I closed the door again. Kree was real but I was starting to think that I was losing my mind and the figure I had just seen was really just a figment of my imagination. I turned around and went back to my room. I didn't see someone hiding in the stall closest to the door nor did I see that same someone exit nearly fifteen minutes later. Calbist still wasn't ready to be found...she just wasn't ready.

A/N- Well that's the chapter! What's up with Serena? Is Snape going soft? What will harry do now that he knows that he has a sister? What will Snape do with Kikite Calbist in Hogwarts? All these questions and much much more will be answered...so long as I get three reviews!