By the time Severus, Remus, and Sirirus arrived at the Infirmary doors, a panicked thrashing greeted them. Severus burst through the tall doors to see Harry and his parents looking confused and uncertain as Emma flailed about, her eyes tightly shut. He rushed to her side, gently taking her hand, releasing her tight grip on the sheet. He urgently began pleading.

"Emma, wake up. Please Emma, I'm here."

His daughter shuddered but ceased her desperate movement. Slowly, her eyes blinked open. Dark eyes stared up at him, a fleeting look of relief flashed within them. Severus watched as panic replaced relief, Emma unable to open her mouth. Immediately, she began shaking again. He knew she was assuming the worst. He held her in his arms, a futile attempt to calm her body. Severus carded his fingers through her hair, hoping the gesture might reassure her.

"Emma, sweet heart, it's not what you think."

An idea suddenly washed over him as he pulled her away. He softly grabbed her chin, willing her eyes open. When she did, he could see hundreds of tears were pooling in them. It nearly shattered his heart. He whispered,

"Will you let me in?"

The frightened look in Emma's eyes dimmed and she nodded. As gently as he could, Severus placed his forehead to hers and entered her mind. It felt a bit like falling, swirls of memories raced past him as he fell to the ground. Standing up, he could see a small bundle huddled in the corner. His heart filled with sorrow. Severus immediately knew what horrors his daughter had been subjected to. He made his way over to her.

"Emma?"

A small child with dark hair slowly lifted her head, confusion written across her face.

"Daddy?"

His voice failed him at the sight of her small form, a version of his daughter he thought he would never see again. All he could manage was a small nod.

The child rushed to her feet, jumping into his open arms. He hugged her close. Although he knew it wasn't truly his daughter, rather a version of her within her mind, it felt right to hold her again. The small Emma. The child he lost all those years ago.

"Daddy what's happening? Why can't I speak? This can't be happening again!"

He could hear the fear that laced every word.

"No child. It's not happening again. Poppy had to seal your jaw in order to help you heal. I promise you, hatchling. You're safe now."

He spoke the words. He meant them. But he knew there were untold horrors she had been subjected to, ones that were sure to resurface and falsify his words.

"Emma, sweetheart. Can you tell me about what happened to you?"

The small child pulled her head away from his shoulder. He could see how much she didn't want to speak about what had occurred. He had his suspicions but he needed to know. Severus gently set her down and knelt down to her height, his hands protectively grasping her thin shoulders.

"I have failed you as a father so many times but I will never let them hurt you again. I swear on my life."

He watched her take a deep breath. Her silence stung. Even this internal version of his daughter didn't fully trust him. He let his head fall, the shame and guilt becoming far to heavy.

"I know Daddy. It's just that so much has happened already, it can't be undone. More is coming. I'm scared."

She fell back into his arms. While Emma appeared to be only 7-8 years old, it was clear this version possessed full knowledge of her life. That meant she could tell him everything that had transpired. He could see how much it pained her to think about the events but he needed to know. Back in the infirmary, she would be unable to speak. The conversation needed to happen in here. Before he could ask again, she interrupted his thoughts.

"Bellatrix was there."

Severus looked up in disbelief.

"That can't be…"

"Not physically. She is still in Azkaban but she was able to torment me in here." Emma pointed around to the room they were in.

His greatest fears were confirmed. Severus took a step back, fully looking at his daughter once more. She was the physical age from when she was trapped with that deranged woman, forced to relieve each tortuous memory inside while subjected to untold horrors by the Dark Lord.

"The presence?" he queried. Emma nodded.

"She materialized from it. The night before the ritual, Tom had his men torture me. I slipped behind the occlumency walls. The pain started to subside but then she appeared. It was Narcissa who pulled me back before the darkness could consume me."

At the mention of his fallen friend's name, Severus' face fell. He had hoped Emma hadn't seen it but of course she did.

"What happened Daddy?"

Severus began to choke on his tears, experiencing the duality of both immense gratitude and sorrow for Narcissa's actions.

"She's gone…"

Emma clutched her stomach.

"No…no…"

Severus told her of the events Remus and Sirirus had shared with him. He watched Emma begin to age in front of him, her anger and despair breaking through the fear Bellatrix had trapped her in. Rage flickered in her eyes, a look he had seen so many times in the mirror. He took that moment to ask her once more.

"Will you tell me what happened? It's the only way we can know how to help you heal."

She nodded. As her older self, Emma was able to share the details of what had occurred at the manor. Severus felt himself oscillate between hatred, rage, and sorrow for what Emma had experienced. He also knew he couldn't change what happened, especially not on his own. Emma would need her whole family.

"Emma. There is something I must tell you, but I need someone else's help."

She threw him a confused look.

"Open your eyes."

He gave her one last nod and then gently left her mind, coming back to his own physical body. The emotions he had experienced while inside his daughter's mind only grew stronger once he was back in the world. Severus wanted to make Lucius and the Dark Lord pay. Before his anger could spill over, he felt Emma gently squeeze his hand, reminding him what he needed to do first.

Upon seeing his sister finally awake, Harry ran to her side. Severus felt his heart leap at the sight.

"Emma?"

Emma immediately relaxed when Harry grabbed her hand. His son looked over at him, it was time to share the news.

"Emma. We need to tell you something. Harry's not your half brother…"

At his words, Emma tried to sit up. Severus softly held her down.

"He's just your brother. And my son."

As the words landed, Severus watched his daughter experience several different emotions. Unable to speak, the single tear that slid down her cheek communicated the happiness she felt. Severus turned to see his parents and brother quietly leave the room, allowing the small family some privacy.

Privacy that was only too fleeting. Soon enough, Poppy returned to Emma's bedside, insisting on performing another diagnostic now that she was awake. Severus stood and left his daughter in the capable hands of his son. He pulled Poppy into her office and quickly summoned his parents, Remus, and Sirius. He had enough information to piece together what had taken place.

"Ligamenteum Vasimortalius…the Dark Lord was trying to bind his soul to Emma's. Emma told me that Narcissa was tasked with brewing a potion to weaken her magical core in turn, strengthening Tom's. Narcissa modified the recipe and was weakening him instead."

"Cissa saved her life…" Sirius quietly muttered.

"Yes, but why? Why turn on Lucius?

Sirius bristled at the mention of the bastard.

"Atonement, I imagine, for what Bellatrix and her husband did. Cissa never believed in that stuff. She was forced to."

Severus nodded, for once, agreeing with the mutt.

"Now we need to get whatever is inside of Emma, out."

"That poor child has been subjected to far too much. Poppy, what repercussions will this have?"

Poppy led them back to Emma's bedside interrupting whatever story Harry was telling her. The matron performed a diagnostic. Her eyes quickly scanned the report. Poppy's breath hitched as she found the evidence they all silently speculated.

"Encederium Tenebrius…"

"Of light and dark…" Albus softly whispered.

"The prophecy."

While the confirmation provided no immediate answers, they knew Narcissa had found a way to thwart the Dark Lord without him knowing. Tom tried to darken Emma's soul but failed. But now, now Tom knew everything and would stop at nothing to destroy the two children. The great battle was no longer a distant terror on the horizon. It was coming.

"No matter what, Emma will need to stay here and heal. I will keep a close watch on her…"

Poppy glanced over at Severus but before he could protest, she cut him off.

"As I'm sure we all will. We can move her to a secret room within the hospital, one that can fashion a passageway between your office and here. That should provide you ample access to your daughter without raising unnecessary suspicions, Severus."

Severus just nodded. The matron always knew what to say to calm him, a residual piece of having patched him up so often his first year.

"Now, Emma is exceptionally malnourished but we must also expel the whatever still remains inside her from Narcissa's potion and the ritual. It's going to be nasty business, but it is the only way to ensure her health is restored."

Severus looked down at his daughter, the pleading look clearly evident in her eyes. He knew what to ask on her behalf.

"And how long must her jaw be sealed?"

"I believe it can be undone as early as tomorrow, especially as we begin flushing the contents from her system."

Emma took a deep breath, whether out of relief or frustration was unknown to Severus. He felt her tug at his sleeve and motion for a writing device. He conjured one and handed it to her. He felt the whole family step closer to see what she wrote.

One word. An ancient evil unbeknownst to many purveyors of light magic. A path to immortality with a steep price. The word she wrote on the parchment sent a chill down Severus' spine. It had always been speculation, but was now confirmed. Severus looked over at his father, a glossy look washed over the old man. Within his own head, his father's voice sounded, clearly not wanting to speak out loud.

"It is as I feared, my son."

Severus' heart fell at his father's words, the image of the diary immediately flashing in his mind.

"Albus, what does it mean?"

"It means, Minerva, that the final battle will take place long before we ever raise our wands."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, my entire family gathered around my hospital bed. Poppy had alerted them she would be removing the seal on my jaw in order to begin pumping my system. While I dreaded the details of that particular process, it was a price worth paying in order to share with my family all I had overheard. As soon as Poppy's spell graced my lips, I began to speak, straining to remember everything Tom had said.

"They are planning to infiltrate the Triwizard Tournament. There will be a spy among us. And something, something about a graveyard and getting Harry there."

I began pounding my fist against my head, hoping to pull more information. But it was futile. I felt my father's fingers curl around my wrist as he cast a Mufflito around the two of us.

"Stop Hatchling, please. It won't work. But you have given us more than we had before. The fact that you even retained anything at all after what you have been through."

"But your position as spy, it's compromised!" I began to panic.

"And that is not your responsibility, child. We will find a way to defeat him, but not one that requires you to beat yourself up for not remembering every detail of a conversation you overheard while being subjected to Merlin knows what."

I knew my father's anger wasn't directed at me, but rather this was his fear speaking. His grip on my hand moved to pull me into an embrace.

"I don't want anything to happen to Harry. Please don't let anything happen to him."

My father pulled away and looked deep into my eyes.

"I swear nothing will happen to either of you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up, I saw Remus sitting beside me, his face hidden behind The Daily Prophet. Before I could speak, I felt my stomach coil and reached for the waste bin. The sound of my retching startled my Uncle as he threw the newspaper to the ground.

"I'm fine Mooney," I said weakly, fully aware he didn't believe me. He gently sat down on the edge of my bed, grabbing my hand in his.

"We find ourselves here too much for my liking, Cub!"

I faintly smiled at the old nickname, so many nights in that damp room longing for the day I would hear it again. I moved to speak again but felt the familiar sensation of getting sick again. Remus pulled the bin to me. After dispelling the contents away, he handed me a glass of water.

"Thank you for saving me."

He smiled.

"I would do anything for you Emma."

"How is Sirius? My father told me about Narcissa."

My uncle's eyes clouded at the mention of his lover's name.

"Grieving. He didn't expect to have any family left so I think losing Narcissa after discovering her true allegiance is devastating for him."

I nodded, all too familiar with that kind of pain.

"Mooney, before you rescued me, Narcissa gave me a blank letter and a jewel. She asked me to give it to Draco for her. At the time, I didn't understand what she meant…"

The pain returned to my uncle's face. He looked uncertain if he should answer the inevitable question I was asking.

"Remus, please tell me what happened that night."

My uncle took a deep breath before revealing the details. I felt my heart shatter at the sacrifice Narcissa made on my behalf. Before the guilt could consume me, my uncle interrupted my thoughts, his arms wrapping around me.

"Narcissa knew the only way for good to win was if you survived that binding ritual. You are destined to defeat Voldemort alongside Harry. Don't you think for one second that her death is your fault."

I began to sob in my uncle's embrace. Despite the validity of his words, the weight of it all crushed my soul.

"What will happen to Draco?"

"I'm not sure, Cub, but Sirius is hoping to speak with him about what happened before he hears it from his father. Who knows how Lucius will distort the truth."

"He's only 13. How will he know what to do?"

Remus softly ran his fingers through my hair and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"The same way we all do. We listen to what's in here," he pointed to my heart, "It's not too late for the boy to choose the side of good, just like his mother did."

I closed my eyes, the image of Narcissa materializing in front of me. Her goodness, her sacrifice, her love. I silently promised I would deliver her message to Draco and share with him the true nature of how his mother died. A hero.