A/N: Did you think I was going to abandon this story for another couple years again? False! I've just been taking organic chemistry 2 and pathology… But good news is, if I pass both with certain grades, I'll be graduating with honors this December—thus, I'll be absent until then.
This is a short chapter, but I've had it saved on my laptop for many months now (I took intense summer classes, too). I thought I should just upload it and give you guys an update. Don't lose hope on me completing this story!
1.
"Please, go to my office, both of you." Dumbledore directed at Liana and Severus. "I need to speak with our Prime Minister."
Liana's heart began to pump. Not only was Voldemort in Fudge's eyesight, but Sirius was, too. She looked around the room as Severus ushered her to a fireplace. And then her heart really stopped.
"Who is that!?" She saw a body covered in a white sheet. She never noticed it there before.
"Peter Pettigrew. Now let's go…" Severus said sternly. Liana hoped that might help with Sirius's situation.
The two Floo-ed to Dumbledore's office. Liana took a seat before his desk.
"Why did you disobey me?"
"You weren't coming back quickly, and I panicked." Liana replied to Severus.
"It was taking me longer than expected because of Professor Umbridge." He said in a tense tone. "And you know this proves you must practice Occlumency again, correct?"
Liana sighed.
They were quiet for a moment; Liana was only thinking of the prophecy's words.
"Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…" Liana repeated.
"Prophecies are just nonsense!" Severus spat. "You-Know-Who was a fool for going after you upon him hearing it. I'm sure he only wanted to be sure that's what the prophecy truly said, and that's why he wanted you to go retrieve it for him."
"I'm sorry…" Liana mumbled.
"Don't think you're not in trouble; although, some good may have come out of this night." Severus paused. He wondered what it was Dumbledore wanted to speak to them about. He thought about just taking Liana to their quarters when he began to worry that it may be nonsense about the prophecy, but then the flames turned green and the bearded man approached them.
"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Dumbledore asked, sounding lighthearted.
"The good?" Liana said questioningly.
"Professor Umbridge no longer has her position as High Inquisitor, and Sirius Black is a free man."
"Really!?" Liana exclaimed. "What is the bad news?"
"I guess there really isn't any…" Dumbledore added. Severus rolled his eyes.
A scratching sound came from the door. Dumbledore look unsure, but when to go see what the noise was. Demon raced past Dumbledore and to Liana. He began to lick her face. He was getting so big that he was eye level with Liana when she was sitting down.
"Smart dog…" Dumbledore began. "Now I do have some matters I would like to discuss with you—"
"No." Severus interrupted. "She will hear nothing of the prophecy."
"I was going to say that Demon can have the full run of the castle now that Professor Umbridge has no authority, and he seems to be so intelligent and well behaved."
It was as though Demon knew what Dumbledore said about him because he seemed to make a dog version of a scoff and look at Severus, who rolled his eyes. This dog was too intelligent for his own good.
"But I do need to speak seriously with you, Liana."
"No," Severus spoke. "There is nothing she doesn't know about that she needs to know. Prophecies are no prediction of the future."
"If only it were that simple, Severus… See you may think that, and Liana may or may not think that, but Voldemort believes in it; he started the process of fulfilling the prophecy the night he came to your home."
"So then Voldemort thinks that I need to be dead for him to not having any threat?" Everything was starting to fall into place. Why it was Liana that was sought after, and why Voldemort continued to seek her out. He believed in the prophecy.
"Yes, he does think you are his biggest threat, and that you are the only once that truly has the power to end him." Dumbledore continued.
"So I guess I just have to make sure Voldemort doesn't kill me before somebody else kills Voldemort?"
"Yes, if only it were that simple, but yes."
"Why doesn't somebody just go cast the killing curse at him right when they see him next then?"
"Voldemort…" Dumbledore paused. "Voldemort is sort of like a cat. He has nine lives. Well, seven but you understand what I'm trying to say—"
"You are done." Severus spat. He didn't think Dumbledore would go as far as to discuss horcruxes.
"Wait, what?" Liana asked.
Severus knew he couldn't leave her hanging like that. "There is a very dark magic that allows someone to split their soul, and hide part of it away in an object—"
"Tom Riddle's diary." She interrupted her father.
"Precisely. Now seven is the most magical number, so that is the maximum amount of times a soul can be split. We just need to find the remaining parts of his soul, and then You-Know-Who can be simply killed."
Liana sighed. She now understood why this war was going on so long. As of now, Voldemort was immortal.
"And that is enough that you need to know. Please go to the Tower and tell all your friends this new information now because I want you in our quarters in exactly one hour." Severus spoke sternly. Liana knew whatever Severus had in store for the evening, it was not going to be fun…
2.
Liana left the office, leaving Severus and Dumbledore alone.
"How are the horcruxes coming along?" Severus asked. He knew Dumbledore was working his best on them. Even if he didn't care for the man much, he had to give him credit.
"Sit, Severus."
Severus's heart began to pound. This wasn't the sign of good news.
"You see Voldemort has a horcrux that he doesn't even know about. A horcrux he never intended on making." Severus shook his head. He instantly knew why his daughter could see visions through Voldemort. "That night, when he cast the killing curse, a part of his soul went to the nearest living—"
"No!" Severus stood up.
"A part of Voldemort lives inside Liana. A time will come when she needs to die."
"You're raising my daughter like a pig for slaughter!" He bellowed. Viciously he cast a spell at a nearby trinket, blowing it to bits.
"Please, destroy my possessions. I daresay I have too many."
"I'll destroy you if you keep speaking like this. There has to be a way to remove it without harming Liana."
"I've been trying to—"
"Well, I'll try then! And I'll try harder!" Severus shouted. Then he left the office, slamming the door behind him.
Severus Snape made his way to his office as quickly as he could. Once the door was shut and locked behind him, he sat down at his desk, and began to weep.
3.
Liana filled her friends on the information of Voldemort's other "souls" until it was time for her to go to the dungeons. Reluctantly, she headed down the cobblestone stairs to the office door. She pushed the door open, already sighing, assuming that she was going to be cleaning cauldrons or doing some kind of excessive studying.
"There you are…" Severus said when she opened the door. He spoke in a surprisingly soft tone. "I'm sure you told your friends ever—everything." Liana raised a brow. It sounded as though Severus's voice choked. Clearing his throat, "Let's just go into the study and read for a while."
Nodding, Liana wondered why Severus was acting so odd, but she went along with it. She took a seat on her usual chair, and Severus sat nearby her. Liana pulled a book from the shelf that she found interesting and began. She was nothing short of stunned when Severus didn't mandate that the reading had to be on Potions or something along that subject matter.
It seemed like every few minutes Severus was asking Liana how she was doing, or he even would go over to her and kiss the top of her head. Liana raised her brow at him. She was stunned that this was what she was doing, but she didn't question it.
Finally, she asked, "Everything alright, Dad?"
Severus nodded. "I'm just glad everything went well today."
"So what else are we doing?" She asked.
"Let's just read until you're tired; you should probably go to bed early." Severus replied, speaking very softly.
"Oh, okay." Liana spoke sounding quite upbeat.
The rest of the evening went by smoothly, except for the pain Severus felt every time he looked over at his daughter, and thought about what also lived inside of her…
4.
The Great Hall was full of cheer the next morning. Professor Umbridge was not at her seat with all the other professors, and once the Prophet arrived everyone knew why.
Liana was annoyed at the glances that were repeatedly being shot at her, followed by whispers.
"He's really back?" Questions filled the room. "Sirius Black is innocent?"
But her angry was interrupted when a dog, the size of a pony, came bounding through the doors and up to Liana.
"Demon! You can't be out here!" Liana said as she cuddled up to the large face.
"He probably can now that Umbridge is gone." Ron sad between bites.
Liana looked up at Dumbledore, who was watching. The bearded man winked, and then literally turned his head away.
Demon was free to roam the castle.
5.
When they were done eating, the group of friends decided to head back to the common room, but Demon had another idea. He whined as though there was something he wanted to go do.
"Maybe we should just follow him." Neville said.
Demon barked as to agree, and they raced down the halls following him.
"What?" Hermione stopped when they realized where they were going—Professor Umbridge's office.
Since Demon was so large now, all he had to do was press against the door, and it popped open.
"A DOG!?" Umbridge shrieked. She looked horrified that her office door was just flown open while she was packing up her desk, and even more horrified it was a dog that did it.
Then they all realized why Demon wanted in the office.
Every kitten on the wall was hissing and running around in their frames as Demon placed his paws against the wall and barked loudly, running around the room.
The kittens were so terrified, they all stayed close together, running with each other as Demon seemed to herd them around the room. The kittens in the portraits began stampeding away from Demon at such a force that the portraits began falling off the wall.
With a bang each picture fell to the ground, the glass shattering—until all the portraits were smashed on the ground, and the kittens then escaped to other portraits around the castle. Demon ran out the door after the herd of kittens, chasing them throughout the castle.
The entire group was in stiches, laughing harder than they had in a long time. And they laughed even harder when they saw how frazzled Umbridge looked. Still laughing, they left the office, and now they headed back to the common room.
6.
Liana couldn't sleep that night. The idea of multiple Voldemort's out there was haunting her mind. She was surprised she couldn't sleep. Her "family" had just had a large dinner out in Hogsmeade to celebrate Sirius's new freedom. Her stomach was full, and she had drank a couple of butterbeers. But her mind was racing.
It almost made her feel hopeless. She was relieved nothing went terribly wrong at the Ministry. The situation actually created a large amount of good. Sirius was now free… The wizarding world knew the truth about Voldemort… Liana knew the truth about the situation…
Pondering the past few days, Liana wondered why Severus did not punish her. She rubbed Demon behind the ears. What made Severus really not want to punish her?
However, then sleep eventually found Liana, and she drifted off… Demon snoring curled up right next to her in the twin bed.