A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows!

Here's the next chapter!

CHAPTER 14: Surprise!

2 weeks had passed after that incident and the first task. The mocking had ceased a bit, but there still were some people who would occasionally throw an insult or two at Harry. A lot of people were now seeing him more as a champion than a cheater, and he was grateful for that.

He and Anora had groaned and complained a lot when they knew about the Yule ball, but Severus and Lily were having none of it.

"You both will find a partner!" Lily said one day as they were sitting in their living room.

"No we won't!" Harry said.

"I hate dancing." Anora grumbled.

Severus chuckled at them.

"You hate dancing?" He asked Anora.

"Yes! I don't know how to dance!" She said and fell back on the sofa.

"Every girl should know how to dance." Lily said.

"That's just sexist-"

"So sexist..."

Anora and Severus said together and looked at each other.

'Merlin.' Harry thought before laughing.

"I was going to take a dancing lesson for all the Slytherins, you will learn there." Severus told Anora.

"Dancing lesson?"

"Yes, even Mc- professor McGonagall is going to take one." Harry said.

"All the heads of houses are ordered to conduct one." Severus said.

"It's compulsory for you to go to the Yule Ball Harry, as you are the champion. So, you should stop being grumpy about it." Lily told her son.

"Yeah Harry, go find a partner." Anora said.

"And what about you?" Harry asked with narrowed eyes.

"I am not a champion. It's not compulsory for me." Anora said.

"Of course it is. You are going, even if I have to drag you out myself." Severus threatened.

Anora just glared at him.

"Harry did you ask anyone out?" Lily asked enthusiastically.

"What? No!" Harry said, blushing.

"Ask Hermione." Anora smirked at him.

"Hermione's not my- shut up." Harry said and threw a pillow at her.

"I think we already established that I am better at Pillow Fight than you." Anora said and tossed the pillow back.

"Do not change the topic both of you!" Lily admonished them and snatched the pillow from Harry's hand.

"You want me to ask someone if they will be my date at the Yule Ball?" Harry said.

Lily nodded.

Harry sighed and looked at his father.

"Don't look at me, I can't help you with this." He said and shrugged.

Harry finally looked at Anora who was still grumbling about dancing.

He suddenly stood up and went in front of Anora.

He kneeled before her and took her hand.

"Anora Warren, will you be my date for the Yule Ball?" He asked her.

"Wh-what? Really?" Anora asked with surprise.

"Yes." He said. Lily was 'awwing' in the background and Severus was just sitting with an amused look on his face.

"Harry, I-" Anora didn't know what to say. Draco had already asked her, along with a few more boys. She had declined all of them except Draco. To him, she just said that she needs some time to think about it. She was initially planning on dragging Kai if she didn't find anyone, but Kai was already going with a girl on whom he had a crush on from months.

She gave Harry's hand a squeeze and smiled at him.

She was about to say something when Severus stepped in.

"That is really sweet but I don't think that's possible." He said.

Almost 2 months had passed since Anora was in their care. Albus, Lily and himself had decided to take this a step further. They had drafted out the adoption papers and were going to tell Anora today. Harry already knew about this, and had happily accepted the offer. He was excited to have a sister.

"Why?" Anora asked and looked confusedly at him.

"How can a brother ask a sister out on a date?" Severus smiled at her shocked face.

"Eh-what now?" She asked as Harry stood up.

"Anora, we have decided to take this guardianship a step further. We would like to adopt you." Lily said lovingly.

"A-Adopt me?" Anora was so, so, shocked.

"Yes." Severus and Lily came and stood in front of her. She saw a stack of paper in Severus' hand,

'So they had decided this from a long time!' She thought.

She was gaping at them.

"I-I don't know what to say." She whispered as Lily sat beside her.

"We love you like our daughter, Anora. And Harry loves you like his sister. We already consider you as family, but we thought we can make it official. You can take some time to think about it. If you don't want it, it's alright by us. We won't force you." She looked at Severus.

He kneeled down at Anora's level and looked her in the eye.

"We won't be replacing your parents Anora. We know that they hold a special place in here." He put a hand on her chest where the heart is supposed to be. "We just want to give you a proper life, a proper Christmas, a brother-" he smiled at her. "A family."

Anora was unable to speak due to the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Ca-can I talk to you both, alone?" She asked Lily and Severus.

"Yes sure honey." Lily said and looked at Harry, who reluctantly left the room.

"Is this because of what Professor Dumbledore told you? About the horcruxes?" She asked quietly.

"No, not at all. Anora, we want you. This isn't something that we are doing to pay you back or anything." Lily clarified.

"We would never do that Anora." Severus nodded seriously and patted her knee.

Anora appeared to be thinking for a minute. She really missed her parents.

'Would they be angry that if I accept this?' She wondered.

"They will be happy that someone is there to take care of you." Severus answered her.

"Did you read…?"

Severus chuckled.

"No, but you are an open book." He said.

Anora smiled at him.

'No, they won't be upset. Severus is right, they will be happy.'

"Yes, i would love to be a part of your family." She said and looked at them.

Lily's face broke out in a huge grin and she hugged Anora fiercely before letting go and standing up.

"Harry!" She yelled and went towards his room to tell him the good news.

Anora grinned at her before turning to Severus who was still kneeling in front of her.

"You made the right choice. You have to let people in, Anora. You parents will be proud today." He said. Suddenly the girl flung herself at him.

He smiled at the feeling.

'A daughter to protect.' He thought and pulled her close.

"Welcome to the family Anora." He whispered.

"Thanks Severus." Anora said. She was fighting tears, but after hugging Severus, she didn't stop them, she let them flow. She always had a special connection with her father and instantly melted in Severus' embrace.

'I guess all daughters have a special connection with their fathers.' She thought.

Severus patted her back as she calmed down.

"Anora! My new sister!" Harry hollered and came towards them.

Anora pulled away from Severus and wiped her tears.

Severus stood up and gave her a hand which she gladly accepted.

"Hey brother." She grinned at him before Harry engulfed her in his arms and squeezed her tightly.

"Ouch, Harry- can't-breathe." She croaked out. Harry laughed and loosened his embrace.

Anora hugged him back. It felt good to have a brother again. It suddenly reminded of her Aaron...

She shook her head.

'No time for that!' She scolded herself.

"Okay Anora, why don't you sign here." Lily said and handed her a quill.

"Wi-Will my name change?" She asked them.

"If you want to. We can always change it later too." Severus said and pointed to a blank where she was supposed to sign.

Anora smiled to herself as she saw Severus' and Lily's signature in front of 'Father and Mother.'

She quickly signed her name and the papers rolled themselves before disappearing.

"Albus will check them out." Lily said. "Now it's time for a little celebratory dessert!" She announced and went into the kitchen.

She came out with 4 bowls of pudding and handed them out.

"I am glad that now I won't have to endure John's pestering all alone." Harry commented.

"John's pestering?" Anora asked him.

"He is very close to our family and is a healer. So naturally he has some healthy talks with Harry once in a while." Severus explained.

"Healthy talks?" Anora was very confused now.

"Harry? Do you want me to tell her?" Severus asked his son. Harry was quite private when it came to his Panic attacks and didn't want anybody to know about them.

He nodded this time and concentrated on his pudding.

"Harry sometimes suffers panic attacks. He also has some nightmares that disturb him very much. Hence, John sometimes comes over and talks to him." Severus told her.

Anora was looking at him with a scared expression.

"I-I don't like much healers." She confessed softly.

"Oh don't worry dear, you'll love John. He is the most gentle and funny healer." Lily told her.

"And strict." Harry piped in.

"Every healer needs to be a little strict." Lily glared at him.

"Will I have to talk to him?" Anora asked.

"Maybe. If he says." Severus answered her. "There is no need to be scared."

They talked more about the adoption and other things. Lily and Severus noted that while Anora was quite happy, there was a hint of doubt in her.

'Yes, John is going to have a talk with her.' Severus thought.

When they both were sent to their rooms to get ready for bed, for the first time Anora felt as if she was at home. Her room looked more welcoming than ever. She walked in her closet and selected a pair of pyjamas before changing into them.

Harry was so happy today. He always wanted a sibling, but due to the war and the fear of Voldemort's return, his parents thought it was best to not bring another life in this world for a while. He loved Anora. She was a perfect sister, laughing with him, teasing him, fighting with him, crying with him. He looked up as his parents entered his room to say their customary good night.

"How's my Harry bear." Lily asked lovingly.

"Mum! I am 14!" Harry said and rolled his eyes.

"For us, you will still be that small naked boy who ran away from his mother while she was giving him a bath and went into the garden because he wanted to see daisies." Severus chuckled.

"Dad! I- goodness!" Harry said and blushed fiercely as Lily laughed at the memory.

"Are you happy Harry?" Lily asked softly and rubbed his cheek with one hand.

"I am, mum. Very much." Harry smiled. "Thank you."

Lily kissed his scar on his forehead.

"Good night, love." She said.

"If you have any nightmares, call us Harry. I have put some wards around this room which will notify me if you are in any kind of distress." Severus said and leaned down to kiss his forehead, just like Lily did.

Harry still had some nightmares even after shifting into his parents' quarters. His parents would console him on such nights and Severus always rubbed a cooling salve on his scar which numbed some of the pain.

"I will, Dad. Good night." He said and watched them exit.

'Probably going to Anora's room.' He thought with a smile.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"There it is again!" Hermione said in a hushed whisper. "He's drinking it after every 2 hours!"

Currently, the trio was sitting in the Great Hall for a group study session.

Anyone who wanted to join it, could come and sit and do their homework. One or the other teacher supervised these sessions and this time, it was Moody's turn.

"What is he drinking though?" Harry asked as he looked at Moody from the corner of his eye.

"FireWhiskey?" Ron suggested.

"It can be. Adults are allowed FireWhiskey." Harry nodded.

"But he never looks drunk!" Hermione protested.

"Leave it Hermione. It must be something. It can also be some medication. Look at him, he looks like his whole body is defective." Ron said and snatched Hermione's essay. "I need 3 more lines." He told her.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, you both keep on with this Sherlock-game, I need to go. I promised mum I will help her clean her classroom today." Harry said and packed his belongings.

"Hey Champion!" The Weasley twins came and sat down beside Harry.

"Hey guys." He said. "Please don't call me that, I hate it."

"Have you decided with whom do you want to go to the Yule Ball?" Fred asked him.

"No." Harry groaned and let his head fall down on the table with a soft 'thud'.

The twins chuckled.

"Come on! You'll find someone-"

"With those eyes-"

"Those cheek bones-"

"That body-"

"That heroic escapade from the Dragon...ohhhh " the twins make sensual noises.

"Shut up both of you." Harry blushed and stood up. "I'll see you later then." He said and exited the Hall.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

While Harry helped clean his mother's class, Anora jogged down the halls with some papers stacked securely in her hands.

Just before Lunch, she had gotten a message from Albus to come and meet her.

"Chocolate Frogs." She gave the password and stepped up on the moving gargoyle.

She knocked politely before entering.

"You wanted to see me professor?" She asked the man sitting behind the desk.

Albus looked up and smiled at the girl.

"Come in Anora. Have a seat." He waited until she sat on her favorite plushy chair before offering her some lemon drops.

She politely declined.

"Those things will kill you if you eat them at your current pace." She told him referring to his candy intake in one day.

"I am a perfectly healthy old man Anora. No need to worry about me." He said and flexed his fingers to show her.

Anora rolled her eyes.

"How are you settling in with the Snapes?" Albus asked her.

The question brought a smile to Anora's face.

"Really great. The adoption was a big shock, but it's bloody great living with them. They make me feel at home." She told him.

"I am so glad that you are happy. I have taken the right decision then." He said with a smile which Anora gladly returned.

"So, let's talk about business. Where are we on the search for the 4th one?" Albus asked her, all traces of previous talk vanished from his face.

Anora shuffled through the papers that she had brought with her before taking one out and handing it to Albus.

"It seems that Tom had a thing for small trinkets. He collected a lot of useless things that he can use for creating a horcrux. When he was at the orphanage, he was attached to a pocket watch which he had found on a beach during a trip. It was last seen 60 years ago on the bank on River Thames. He threw it in the river in a fit and we don't know if it was recovered or not."

"And the source of this information?" Albus asked as he went through the paper.

"His old acquaintance, Gary Lucas. He was with him at the orphanage and was quite close to the silent strange boy. After a while when Tom started showing signs of hatred and dark magic, Lucas distanced himself from him. He now lives in Dover. He is a squib and was married to a muggle who died 3 years ago." Anora rattled on.

"Hmm. So, you think that this watch can be a horcrux?" He asked her.

Anora shrugged.

"I don't know. It's highly unlikely though. If he threw it in an anger fit, he might not want to see that object again." Anora said.

"And how can you say that?"

"Human nature. If you hate something, you surely don't want to see it again." Anora shrugged again.

Albus chuckled.

"Next?"

Anora handed him another paper.

"I don't think that this will be a horcrux, but it never hurts to be prepared. When Tom was at Hogwarts, he fell in love with a girl, Amira Waters."

"Ah, the daughter of Doria and Anthony Waters. I remember her. She was a Slytherin and quite a brilliant girl."

"And a pureblood. So naturally, she intrigued him. Tom gifted her with a beautiful pendant. Here's a sketch." She handed him a paper on which a beautiful sketch was made. The pendant was of a very simple design. It was carved in the shape of a snake's mouth and had 2 small emeralds as the snake's eyes. "So he gave her the pendant but just after 2 weeks they broke up. Amira was so heartbroken that she couldn't concentrate on-"

"On her studies and hence her parents shifted her to the States." Albus finished.

"Yep" Anora said and popped the 'p'. "She married a bloke named Roland Derrek and has 2 boys who went to Ivermory. Derrek worked as a ministry official in the American Ministry until he retired 6 years ago. They currently reside in Connecticut."

"Any hint about the pendant?" Albus asked.

"No. That's why I said that it's highly unlikely. And we already destroyed a necklace. I don't think the pendant will be a Horcrux."

"Did you contact Mrs Derrek?"

"I did. But she sent me a howler saying that she has nothing to do with Tom Riddle and what he has become now. And as for the pendant, she said she threw it away."

"Any other possibility?" Albus asked and looked at Anora.

"Yes..." Anora said and pulled out another paper. Anora's tone indicted Albus that the next thing can be something.

"What is it?" He asked and took the paper.

"Since childhood, Riddle was interested in Snakes. He was a parselmouth, as everybody knows. He had this giant snake before he was vanquished by Harry. Nagini. He was or rather is very much close to this snake and never lets her out of sight. In Harry's dreams, he says he sees it through the eyes of an animal, most probably a snake, as it slithers. So, it's a possibility that the Snake is still alive and serving Voldemort. Tom can make him his horcrux. Out of all the other items, I think we should concentrate on the snake." Anora informed Albus.

"Nagini... I did some reasearch myself. I have to say, the snake came up many times." Albus said.

"Do you think that it is a horcrux?" Anora asked.

"It can be. He guards her with his life."

"It's quite difficult to find it though. Where there's Tom, there's Nagini. And we are not sure whether Tom is in Britain or some other corner of the world." Anora voiced her concerns.

"He will come to us." Albus said with a cryptic look in his eyes.

"Why would he come to us?" Anora asked.

"He needs a body. For that there is only one ritual. And for that, he requires Harry's blood." Albus told her.

"What? You will be using Harry as a bait?! I won't let you. Nor will Severus and Lily." Anora said angrily.

"Calm down Anora. I am not using Harry as a bait. I am saying that he will be attracted to Harry, and hence we will have to keep an eye on Harry. His safety is the first priority." He told her.

Anora calmed down considerably.

"Well then. If there is nothing more, I have someplace to be." Anora said.

"Oh yes, yes. Thank you for all this. I will search more and tell you." He told her and watched her gather all her papers.

"Call me if you need anything." She said and reached forward to take a lemon drop and popped it into her mouth.

"I just took one." She said after Albus' look. "You eat 500 a day."

Albus chuckled.

"Sure, my dear." He said and watched her leave.

A/N: Anora's adopted! Yay or nay?