Chapter 12 - a tale of two fathers

Minerva's face remained expressionless but Dumbledore seemed to tense up he'd never discussed this particular topic with her. Madam Pomfry repeated her question.

"Who's her father?" she said a little more forcefully.

Professor McGonagall turned her eyes full of tears once more "I'm not sure" she replied simply.

At this Dumbledore seemed to loose his rag "Come on Minnie think it can't be that difficult, this is her life we're talking about here. I'm sure you didn't sleep with that many people."

McGonagall gave a shudder before answering. "Remus or Severus!"

Dumbledore didn't seem to think about the names but looked at Madam Pomfry and asked "Can you do a paternity test to determine who the father is."

"Only with the suspected father's permission" she said

"I'll fetch them then" with that Dumbledore got up and left the room. Minerva was sitting on the bed trembling while Kathy was sat dumbstruck with shock.



No one said anything or moved until Dumbledore re-entered the room about 20 minutes later closely followed by Severus Snape.

"I'm sorry" he started "erm Professor Lupin is not available at the moment." McGonagall looked out of the hospital wing window at the full moon and shuddered.

"Well that's what you get when you hire a werewolf isn't it" Snape commented with his usual scowl.

McGonagall made a funny unintelligible noise and seemed to have lost her voice, she went very pale and looked as if she too might pass out. Snape looked at the young girl in the bed and realized the seriousness of the situation. Madam Pomfry took him aside and explained the situation. Everyone in the room heard his shocked reply.

"That's outrageous, There's no way, I cannot possibly be...." Snape came storming out of poppy's office and looked at Minerva who was sat at the end of the bed. "How can you think that, WHEN have we ever slept together."

Dumbledore made a low quiet whistling sound, which earned him an icy glare from professor McGonagall. Turning back to Snape she answered "I'm erm not totally sure erm there was that night after me and Remus broke up I was so drunk, I can't remember anything of it, and well you were still there in the morning and I guess I jumped to conclusions."

"Too right you did" he snapped back, Kathy thought that he even looked slightly hurt "I would never have taken advantage of you like that, never. Even if I DID want to" He stopped after realizing what he had said.

"I'm sorry" Minerva replied truly sounding it.

Poppy who was now looking even more worried along with Dumbledore decided to speak up. "Be that as it may Severus, we have two different versions of events and my priority here is the life of this young girl. Would you be terribly offended if I asked you to take a paternity test anyway?"

Severus seemed quite taken aback but agreed all the same.

Ten minutes later the three professors and Kathy were sat anxiously awaiting the results. Poppy came in looking like she was about to cry and just shook her head. Minerva burst into tears, Dumbledore looked somber and Severus seemed for the first time Kathy had ever seen him, moved. "Well I better go and leave you alone" he said with a lump in his throat and returned to his chambers.



It was the following day before Remus Lupin heard anything of the situation and even that was just from a student about how Kathy had collapsed and was still in the hospital wing. He made his way there immediately and was greeted by the Headmaster "Ahh professor Lupin, just the man" He was ushered inside and the story was re-told yet again to him and sounding a little shocked agreed to a paternity test.

Professor McGonagall was sat by her bedside along with Harry and Ginny. She looked so pale it added almost 50 years onto her. Harry had to remind himself of her actual age. She turned to her daughter and said "Would you like your parents to be here?" she asked the question quite simply as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Harry felt his throat tighten.

"Your here, you're the only family I have left now"

"What do you mean, even if they're not blood relatives they still love you."

"They're dead!" This stopped the conversation in it's tracks, McGonagall needed no further explanation it was Voldemort he'd found out, and they all sat in silence for a few minutes until madam Pomfry came out.

"We have a match" she announced but not sounding in the slightest bit happy. Lupin came out of the office behind her and moved over to the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked as McGonagall's eyes filled with tears

"You left remember i couldn't tell you!" She tried to sound spiteful but all they heard was pain, anguish and fear.

"I suppose you already know but i will say it anyway" Poppy butted in with a sigh trying to stop the brewing argument. "Kathryn, this is your father, his blood is a match, but unfortunately we cannot use it, to fuse your blood with the blood of a werewolf would be fatal." Kathy suddenly realized the starling truth she was going to die and there was nothing that could be done about it. Well she thought at least Voldemort would be happy!