On the other side of the door, Severus Snape was finding he could see a lot of himself in his daughter. She just handed it differently, that was the Lily side of her.
"It's a shame you're not a snake," he said almost jokingly.
"I am a snake, Professor. It's one of my Animagus forms. And the sorting hat said I have the mind of a snake yet the heart of a lion, whatever that means"
Snape nearly smiled, "Those are both good traits to have. It also means that I don't have to worry about you in Gryffindor house with all the trouble they get into… for not thinking ahead of time"
Lucy grimaced "I've noticed that, particularly my brother's group and Fred &George Weasley"
"You just had to go for the worst, didn't you?" he sighed before changing the subject. "If your wish though is to become a Healer, you are going to need advanced Potions. I will help you if that's what you want? You can join with the rest of your year next week"
"Could it wait until after the holidays? That way I can start off the new year fresh and give Neville some one last pointers"
Snape raised an eyebrow, if it were any other student… "You have a close bond with him, don't you?"
"His Aunt is one of my best friends"
The Professor was surprised, "I didn't know you knew Enid Longbottom?"
"I don't, but I know Mary Jane Longbottom. Frank's baby sister"
"What?"
"Did you not pay attention to the Gryffindor gossip chain during your fifth year?"
"I tried not to, considering who was in school with me."
"Right. Well apparently, Augusta Longbottom surprisingly had a "later in life" baby born earlier that spring. At first, she was disappointed the child wasn't another boy to carry on the family name but she got over it when the woman began to think about the possible marriage the girl could bring to their Pureblood status. All that changed merely two months later when the Longbottom Family first defied You Know Who-" she explained, not using Voldemort's name for her father's benefit seeing as he seemed to be sensitive about it.
"That night, Fenrir Greyback broke into their home and bit Mary Jane in her crib"
Snape's eyes widened,
"She lived, but you know… Ashamed, the family hid her away from the public eye. Only Frank and later, Alice seemed to have patience with her. When Alice got pregnant, Augusta put her foot down. Forbidding her daughter in law and son from having anything to do with Mary Jane. After Neville was born, his parents went against his grandmother's wishes and brought their son to see his Aunt when it wasn't near that time of the month. She got to hold him. They continued to do it secretly like this until their attack. By then Augusta had had it, the woman all but cast her daughter out of the family. Mary Jane, not willing to put up with her family's cold shoulder, ran away and was found and unofficially adopted by Miss Aurora and the hospital she'd found herself in. The staff were all Animagus so she was practically in no danger when she turned. For a Werewolf's bite is only dangerous to humans. Hence why I am one too"
The Professor stood and began pacing. He did not like the fact that his daughter had been around a Werewolf. Sirius Black's attempt on his life still loudly playing in the back of his mind. At the same time, he realized: the Longbottom girl had no choice in the matter. Fenrir Greyback was one sick man, if he could even be "called" that for biting a helpless infant!
"I don't like it" he said. "I'm not prejudice," he went on seeing Lucy's face. "I did have a horrible encounter with one in my youth. It almost killed me, but I was…saved. Both from the bite and my life. I just hate that particular Werewolf, and he wasn't "nice" to me when he was human either. If you want to keep up this particular friendship, I won't discourage you. Provided you actually know what you're doing"
"I will, besides the Enchanted Scarlet cloaks should be ready in Germany within the next year. We're already saving up to buy one and its treatment once they become available to the public."
"The what?"
The teen groaned, "I forgot, Hogwarts doesn't do current world magical History. Professor Binns' class does nothing but turn my brains into Bangers and Mash with the ongoing Goblin Wars of the past. The basic rundown is this:
In the 1940's an American Muggleborn heard about the growing Werewolf problem in Europe during the War (both Magical and Non) Curious, he got an idea and began looking for ways to develop a magical potion combined with what was known and found in Muggle science as far as human DNA, and how the body reacts to inflected diseases like rabies since it was found similar to those in the Wolf's bite. To cure if not remission the curse which runs through the blood and saliva. As the knowledge of the world changed, he grew with it and continued to adapt. Unfortunately, the Muggleborn was killed in 1980 for his research. Certain people didn't want such hope getting out, they thrived on ruling by fear. However, twenty years later a mixed blood research team in Germany, found the copies of the Wizard's work. Continuing to build on it. So now they have discovered if you combine Wolfsbane with a sample of the anti-rabies vaccine with the liquidized pollen from an enchanted Scarlet Flax flower, since red repels wolves. The werewolf will not turn because of the physical and mental affect it has."
"Do you drink it or wear it?" asked the Professor, intrigued.
"You drink Wolfsbane once while having the shot either before or after. So, it's in their system as the cloak they are going to wear is dyed in the same substance with the flower pollen for coating. From then on, as long as its worn during the full moon: No forced transformation. It has been tested on three separate groups; they all came back "Positive." A few more, along with the approval of Magical Germany's CDC and we're good to go. Mary Jane is so excited yet trying hard not to show it" said Lucy.
Severus Snape was definitely surprised to be just hearing about this for the first time. But then most of the people he knew didn't pay attention to what other countries had been up to. To think that Germany had almost found a solution? At the same time, he realized there would-be others, officials in the Ministry that would refuse to even listen.
"Please…keep me informed, whatever happens with it?"
"I will," she promised as they finished up and sent her to class…
...
Days later it was the first Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch game of the season. Apparently when her brother had been scolded on the flying field by Professor McGonagall. He wasn't in trouble as originally thought. She had picked him to be the new house team Seeker where he had to catch a flying golden large marble known as a snitch before the other seeker did.
Lucy was pleasantly surprised to witness her father actually come up and wish Harry "Good Luck" awkwardly in the Great Hall before the match.
The game started off interestingly enough and then quickly turned dangerous with somebody hijack jinxing her brother new broom. Thankfully it stopped, unfortunately Professor Snape's robes caught on fire in the staff's skybox seating. She later found out it was purposeful later when she overheard and joined the trio questioning Hagrid.
"Nonsense, why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?"
"Who knows," her brother replied, "Why was he trying to get passed that three headed dog on Halloween?"
The giant was surprised, "Who told you about Fluffy?"
"Fluffy?"
"That thing has a name?!"
"Of Course, 'e does he's mine. I loaned 'im to Dumbledore to guard the-! Shouldn't have said that. No more questions"
"But whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape is trying to steal it!"
"Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher"
"Hogwarts teacher or not, I know spell when I see one" said Hermione, "I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking"
"Exactly," Harry sharply nodded in agreement.
Hagrid paused and sighed, "Now you listen to me, all three of you. You're "mettlin " in things that aren't to be mettled in. Whatever that dog is guarding is strictly between Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel"
"Nicolas Flamel?"
"I should not have said that" he muttered as the first years looked at each other and the groundskeeper left before looking up at Lucy.
"You believe us, don't you?"
"I believe that there was someone messing with your broom and there possibly is somebody trying to get pass Hagrid's Cerberus retrieve that object. But I do NOT believe it is Professor Snape."
The eleven- and twelve-year old's looked stunned. She had agreed with them, but disagreed as well.
"But you said Not every adult can be trusted!" exclaimed Ron.
"That's true and even though some facts do add up, others don't. Harry, Snape may seem like a villain to you and he does not like you but he would never place you or others in danger if he could help it. Besides, after that first potions class. The Professor and I came to an understanding. He's all but left you alone ever since"
The trio's eyebrows shot up "You're the reason he stopped? How? What did you do?"
"I will not tell you but I will say that partly why he is the way he is goes back to our parents Harry."
Her brother's green orbs were practically nonexistent behind his glasses as his mouth hung ajar with Ron and Hermione copying.
"Blimey! What did they do?"
"They didn't do anything!" exclaimed Harry, instantly becoming defensive."
"Harry…" said his sister in a "not messing around" tone. "Life isn't fairyland, I thought I told you this. People are complicated, even Snape and our parents. People change. In school, our parent were like if Hermione married Fred or George. Now can you see them together, right now?"
"NO!" "No!" both of the other two shouted, horrified by the mental image Lucy described. Nearly making her brother deaf as he was standing in between them.
"Alright then, you don't have to trust Snape. But I'm asking you to trust me" she said, deciding not to tell them just yet about her personal connection to the Professor, lest it be all over the school. Something neither of them wanted…
When the time came for the Christmas holiday, Lucy and Harry were surprised to see Neville sign up for staying at the school over break.
"Usually, we'd have this big party gathering with the rest of the family before -Before going to see my parents" the boy whispered to the elder sibling. "This year, my Gran wanted to travel…Out of the country to see them for a change and assess the family estates."
"You didn't want to go?" "I wasn't invited or ordered to go. She said I was finally doing something right for once, with my schooling: "Potions"
Lucy bit her lip, not wanting to let on her disgust with the woman. "You seem relieved?"
"I-! I- am, I-! I wish somebody in my family liked me"
Harry put an empathic hand on the nervous boy, understanding those feelings all too well.
"You are staying too?" asked Neville, seeing them sign their own names underneath his.
"Yes, we wouldn't go back to our relatives if we had another choice. Besides I've already made plans with Professor McGonagall to be gone from the castle Christmas day to see some old friends using the floo powder at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade" replied the teen.
"You're going to see Miss Aurora and your friends, aren't you?" questioned Harry excitedly. His sister smiled…
...
Christmas Day came, Ron eagerly woke up Harry that morning and they rushed to the Gryffindor Common room to find Lucy already sitting under the tree waiting for them.
"You're up early?"
"And you're not?" the sixth year returned the comment. "Actually, this is the first holiday I am allowed to sleep in, as Harry knows." she said, sharing a look with her brother. "And I did, I slept in 'til Eight o'clock"
"That's not sleeping in!"
"It is for us, usually we're up Five -thirty, quarter to six, preparing Christmas breakfast and whatever else our relatives have in mind"
Ron swallowed a piece of his Christmas chocolate frog whole, he would never complain about his mother's rules again.
Her brother getting the invisibility cloak raised an eyebrow.
"Your Father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well…"
It wasn't signed, but Lucy knew who it was from. Meddlesome old man, he had better know better then to bribe her with a token of affection from their dead parents. The boys were of course taken in by the magical artifact, the teenager could smell trouble already. Perhaps using it to go in the restricted section of the library to look up Nicolas Famel again? No matter, it was time to go home…
Unfortunately, fate has other ideas. Oh, she got to see them alright! In fact, she had just made it and given everyone a hug when Fawkes, Dumbledore's flying fiery chicken showed up without warning and grabbed Lucy with his talons but not before the other girls latched on to her and Miss Aurora changed into her bird form biting the phoenix on the leg with her beak and holding on as Fawkes painfully flashed out of there.
"Bad Bird!" the parrot squeaked, letting go of his bloody appendage as they all landed in the Headmaster's office, surprising the old man.
"Fawkes! You were only supposed to-!"
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! WHAT in the name of MERLIN'S Beard DO you think you are doing?!" Miss Aurora's voice scolded as she now stood there in human form with her hands on her hips…
Nothing like a surprise relative dropping in for the holidays... Hope you enjoyed and will review.