Kat sat on the floor of Dumbledore's office, while Nadine floated cross-
legged above her right shoulder. Her father stood behind them with his arms
crossed, looking as if he was contemplating the best way to kill Dumbledore
without getting caught.
Ron and Harry were leaning against the wall while Dumbledore sat at his desk, as calm as if they were discussing the weather, not watching Hermione pace across the floor.
"Let's see if I understand this. You had no problem telling me that he was your father, but you couldn't tell me you're part fairy!" Hermione practically screeched.
"Well, it was complicated." She began slowly, wondering how she could explain this one. Then again she could always erase their memories, but something told her Dumbledore wouldn't approve of that. And she really didn't want to have to erase her own cousin's memory.
Why oh why couldn't Nadine and Dumbledore have kept their mouths shut?
"Complicated. Complicated. complicated is trying to figure out if Snape is part fairy or if your mother was, which could mean my mother was, which could mean I am." Hermione continued starting to wear a spot in the carpet.
"You're not child. Delwyn's grandmother was fairy; you're Aunt's mother. And she is only a quarter fairy." Nadine said softly, trying to calm Hermione down.
"Oh." Hermione said sitting on the floor. "Hell Kitty, now things are starting to make sense. No wonder you were so good at magic when you were five."
"Maybe you should move this to a more comfortable place, Severus, Nadine, and I will discuss things here." Albus said softly.
"Of course Professor." Harry said standing up. Ron, Hermione, and Kat followed him.
Once they were out of the office, they made their was up to the Griffyndor rooms.
"Hey everyone. Oh hi Kat, we didn't know you were back." Ginny said coming up behind them with Fred and George.
"I just got back." Kat said softly. As they made their way up the stairs and stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady.
"Well, look whose back again. Making a habit of this are you, coming and going coming and going."
"What do you mean?" Fred asked before anyone could shut him up.
"You didn't know, she use to go to Hogwarts, was a Griffyndor too."
Kat sighed deeply, "Well Ony, there goes the whole no one knowing my past idea."
"Yeah Kitty, it was bad enough that Harry and Ron just found out."
"I knew we knew you." George said from behind them. Hermione turned and placed her hand over his mouth.
"Shut up." She hissed to him, then glared at Fred. Fred held up his hands in surrender, and Hermione glanced around to make sure no one else was around.
"Everyone keep your mouth shut and follow us." She continued as Kat whispered with the fat lady.
The fat lady opened the doorway, and Hermione pulled everyone up to Harry's room. Luckily no one was there, so they all sat down on various beds and the floor.
Hermione took out her wand and placed a silencing charm on the room, "Too bad there's no locking charm." She mused
"As far as you know." Kat said pulling out her wand and mumbling something in another language, then they heard the door locks click.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what Harry?" Kat asked softly, looking up at them, her eyes clouded.
"Bloody hell, stop going around in circles."
"Ronald Weasley stop being such an idiot."
"Ginny!" Ron said in shock.
"Well its true. Let them tell us in their own time, since you obviously haven't noticed let me explain a few things to you. Whatever is in Kat's past, obviously she doesn't want the world to know.
"Based on what I've observed, she went to Hogwarts before, and Fred and George remember her, now think about this, she is in the same class as you, same age as you, but the twins were here two years before you. So she went to Hogwarts before you did, and since she's in her sixth year, that means she completed her first five years before she left, probably the year before you came, giving her one year with the twins.
"Now, if you think about it, that would make her what ten when she was in her fifth year. Do you think anyone would want to have the world know that."
Everyone looked at Ginny in various degrees of shock, until Kat and Hermione started to giggle, and within moments the two were laughing hysterically.
"What the?"
"Are they ok?"
"Were fine." Hermione said, the first to catch her breath.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked, totally confused.
"Your sister is a genius, hopefully no one else in this school is as smart as she is." Kat said with a smile.
"Then it's true. Everything I said is true." Ginny said surprised.
"Yeah, but why don't I start at the beginning." Kat said softly and they all leaned forward to hear what she had to say. "My mother and father were married young, she was only seventeen. I was born nine months later, and then my father was forced to leave.
"Voldemort had been destroyed by Harry, and my father was called back to England. We had been living in the Forbidden Forest, my mother and I, while my father worked. But, after he left, she took me and went back to her home in the Highlands. I lived there until just past my fourth birthday..
*~*~*
"Ekaterina Delwyn stop that right now."
Kat looked up at Mrs. Kirellian, and smiled softly, "But I want to see momma."
Biddie's face softened when she heard the girl, no one had told her of her mother's condition, and by morning the girl would be alone. "You can go in soon child. I'll come get you." She said before turning and walking back into the hut.
Kat watched her go, then stood and made her way to her favorite spot, a tree at the edge of the village, next to the fairy ring. As she sat down she thought of what she had heard, no one in the village knew of the extent of her powers, that she could hear people's thoughts. It came and went, but she had heard Biddie's thoughts none the less, her mother was dying. Everything made sense finally, why her mother had been so weak for the past months.
~*~
Kat walked into the hut and let her eyes adjust to the darkness in the room compared to outside. She saw her mother on the bed and walked over to her.
"Mama?" she began softly.
"Delwyn?" her mother asked turning her head towards her only child.
"I'm here mama."
"I will always love you Delwyn. Always remember you're time here with our people."
"I will mama." She replied. She knew her mother's time was almost up, as she had reverted to using her middle name.
"Goodbye my precious one."
She watched her mother go, then sat in the silence. She heard the curtain being moved and assumed it was Biddie coming back into the hut. She waited as the time passed, unsure of what to do now. Fearchar snuggled close to her, offering her support.
"Kitty?" a voice said from behind her. She knew that voice! She turned around to look at her father.
"Papa?"
"Yes, it's me." He said softly holding out his arms to her. She ran to him and he held her as she cried for her mother. "It's ok kitten. It's going to be ok. I'm here." He said softly as he stroked her hair.
"What will happen now?" she asked looking up at him when her tears had stopped.
"You will come with me to Hogwarts."
"Can I bring Fearchar?"
"Fearchar?"
"My owl." She said softly, showing her to him.
"Of course kitten. Is there anything else you need?" he asked looking around the room.
"No, I have it all here." She replied pointing to a blanket wrapped bundle.
"How long have you known?" he asked softly.
"Not long, Biddie told me today."
"Told you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"She didn't know it though."
He shook his head softly, his black hair swinging around his face. "Kitten, you are more like your mother everyday." He said with a smile, glancing at his now dead wife.
"I know Papa. Shall we go then?"
"Of course." He replied picking up her bundle and taking her hand. They walked out of the hut, as Biddie and other women of the village walked in. They would take care of Gwendolyn's burial, as was their way.
*~*~*
"So my father brought me to Hogwarts, where all the teachers and staff treated me as family, except for Filch of course. But, even Mrs. Norris would be nice to me, and after a few years, she wouldn't even tell on me if I was out roaming the halls at night.
"I started classed when I was five, after all, there was nothing else for them to do with me during the day, and I already knew how to read and write by that time. So I went to classes, and my life was great, in regards to being able to practice and learning all I could about magic.
"But, on the other hand, my life was terrible. I only had two friends other than the professors, Mrs. Norris and my owl, Fearchar. The other students hated me for being so young and better than them, especially the Slytherins. And with other things happening in my life, Hogwarts got to be too much. So, when I was ten, and had finished my fifth year, I left.
"I wrote my father afterwards and apologized for leaving then I went to America and found my mother's family back here in England. My grandmother had taken her when she was born, so grandfather never knew her. He married a few years after Mama was born, and had another family. I found his other daughter first, and met her.
"Grandfather had often told her of his daughter born before her. She was ecstatic to have finally found her, even though she was sadden to learn of her death. They came to America once to see me, and that's how I met Ony. We were the same age, so we bonded immediately, and after a few weeks we were inseparable."
"And that's the whole story." Hermione said softly.
"What about." Ron began.
"That's the whole story." Hermione said more forcefully. She intended to learn about her cousin's secrets before they did.
"Oh, ok." He replied sensing he had better keep his mouth shut.
"So now what?" Fred asked softly, "I'm guessing you don't want the entire world knowing that you are Snape's daughter."
"Actually, it will be announced tonight at dinner. We figured it was about time the world found out I was still alive."
"Still alive?" Harry asked slightly confused.
"Well, as far as the wizarding world assumed, I had died when I disappeared the summer after I finished my fifth year, and my father would never talk about me to anyone. So." she trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Oh, all right." Harry replied softly.
"Is that how you knew that spell?" Ron asked
"Yeah, when you're five in a school with kids who ostracize you, you have a lot of time to do extra reading." She said with a shrug.
"So are you smarter the Mione?" Ginny asked curiously, "No offense." She continued quickly.
"None taken." Both girls said at once. They smiled then continued.
"Yes."
"No." Kat said at the same time.
"Which is it?" George asked with a smile.
"I think she's smarter than me." Hermione replied.
"And I think you are, because you did most of this on your own without support of the magical world. For my part, very few people know that I am a quarter human. They all assume I'm a pureblood."
An indignant snort was heard from the window and the all looked up in surprise. A white owl sat on the windowsill, with the bluest eyes any of them had ever seen, except for Kat who stood up. "Fearchar? What are you doing here?" she asked holding out her arm.
The owl flew over and landed on her arm, immediately rubbing her head against Kat's shoulder. Then it lifted its leg to show her a small cylinder canister.
Kat removed it and opened it, dropping a rolled up piece of paper in her hand. It floated into the air and unrolled itself before they began to hear her father's voice.
"Ekaterina, dinner starts in half an hour, we figured you and you're friends would lose track of time up there. Please come to the dining room in fifteen minutes with Mr. Potter, your cousin, and the three Mr. Weasley's, and Miss. Weasley. Thank you."
"Well," Kat began after the paper had rolled back up then disappeared, "I guess we are all needed in the dining room."
Ron and Harry were leaning against the wall while Dumbledore sat at his desk, as calm as if they were discussing the weather, not watching Hermione pace across the floor.
"Let's see if I understand this. You had no problem telling me that he was your father, but you couldn't tell me you're part fairy!" Hermione practically screeched.
"Well, it was complicated." She began slowly, wondering how she could explain this one. Then again she could always erase their memories, but something told her Dumbledore wouldn't approve of that. And she really didn't want to have to erase her own cousin's memory.
Why oh why couldn't Nadine and Dumbledore have kept their mouths shut?
"Complicated. Complicated. complicated is trying to figure out if Snape is part fairy or if your mother was, which could mean my mother was, which could mean I am." Hermione continued starting to wear a spot in the carpet.
"You're not child. Delwyn's grandmother was fairy; you're Aunt's mother. And she is only a quarter fairy." Nadine said softly, trying to calm Hermione down.
"Oh." Hermione said sitting on the floor. "Hell Kitty, now things are starting to make sense. No wonder you were so good at magic when you were five."
"Maybe you should move this to a more comfortable place, Severus, Nadine, and I will discuss things here." Albus said softly.
"Of course Professor." Harry said standing up. Ron, Hermione, and Kat followed him.
Once they were out of the office, they made their was up to the Griffyndor rooms.
"Hey everyone. Oh hi Kat, we didn't know you were back." Ginny said coming up behind them with Fred and George.
"I just got back." Kat said softly. As they made their way up the stairs and stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady.
"Well, look whose back again. Making a habit of this are you, coming and going coming and going."
"What do you mean?" Fred asked before anyone could shut him up.
"You didn't know, she use to go to Hogwarts, was a Griffyndor too."
Kat sighed deeply, "Well Ony, there goes the whole no one knowing my past idea."
"Yeah Kitty, it was bad enough that Harry and Ron just found out."
"I knew we knew you." George said from behind them. Hermione turned and placed her hand over his mouth.
"Shut up." She hissed to him, then glared at Fred. Fred held up his hands in surrender, and Hermione glanced around to make sure no one else was around.
"Everyone keep your mouth shut and follow us." She continued as Kat whispered with the fat lady.
The fat lady opened the doorway, and Hermione pulled everyone up to Harry's room. Luckily no one was there, so they all sat down on various beds and the floor.
Hermione took out her wand and placed a silencing charm on the room, "Too bad there's no locking charm." She mused
"As far as you know." Kat said pulling out her wand and mumbling something in another language, then they heard the door locks click.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what Harry?" Kat asked softly, looking up at them, her eyes clouded.
"Bloody hell, stop going around in circles."
"Ronald Weasley stop being such an idiot."
"Ginny!" Ron said in shock.
"Well its true. Let them tell us in their own time, since you obviously haven't noticed let me explain a few things to you. Whatever is in Kat's past, obviously she doesn't want the world to know.
"Based on what I've observed, she went to Hogwarts before, and Fred and George remember her, now think about this, she is in the same class as you, same age as you, but the twins were here two years before you. So she went to Hogwarts before you did, and since she's in her sixth year, that means she completed her first five years before she left, probably the year before you came, giving her one year with the twins.
"Now, if you think about it, that would make her what ten when she was in her fifth year. Do you think anyone would want to have the world know that."
Everyone looked at Ginny in various degrees of shock, until Kat and Hermione started to giggle, and within moments the two were laughing hysterically.
"What the?"
"Are they ok?"
"Were fine." Hermione said, the first to catch her breath.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked, totally confused.
"Your sister is a genius, hopefully no one else in this school is as smart as she is." Kat said with a smile.
"Then it's true. Everything I said is true." Ginny said surprised.
"Yeah, but why don't I start at the beginning." Kat said softly and they all leaned forward to hear what she had to say. "My mother and father were married young, she was only seventeen. I was born nine months later, and then my father was forced to leave.
"Voldemort had been destroyed by Harry, and my father was called back to England. We had been living in the Forbidden Forest, my mother and I, while my father worked. But, after he left, she took me and went back to her home in the Highlands. I lived there until just past my fourth birthday..
*~*~*
"Ekaterina Delwyn stop that right now."
Kat looked up at Mrs. Kirellian, and smiled softly, "But I want to see momma."
Biddie's face softened when she heard the girl, no one had told her of her mother's condition, and by morning the girl would be alone. "You can go in soon child. I'll come get you." She said before turning and walking back into the hut.
Kat watched her go, then stood and made her way to her favorite spot, a tree at the edge of the village, next to the fairy ring. As she sat down she thought of what she had heard, no one in the village knew of the extent of her powers, that she could hear people's thoughts. It came and went, but she had heard Biddie's thoughts none the less, her mother was dying. Everything made sense finally, why her mother had been so weak for the past months.
~*~
Kat walked into the hut and let her eyes adjust to the darkness in the room compared to outside. She saw her mother on the bed and walked over to her.
"Mama?" she began softly.
"Delwyn?" her mother asked turning her head towards her only child.
"I'm here mama."
"I will always love you Delwyn. Always remember you're time here with our people."
"I will mama." She replied. She knew her mother's time was almost up, as she had reverted to using her middle name.
"Goodbye my precious one."
She watched her mother go, then sat in the silence. She heard the curtain being moved and assumed it was Biddie coming back into the hut. She waited as the time passed, unsure of what to do now. Fearchar snuggled close to her, offering her support.
"Kitty?" a voice said from behind her. She knew that voice! She turned around to look at her father.
"Papa?"
"Yes, it's me." He said softly holding out his arms to her. She ran to him and he held her as she cried for her mother. "It's ok kitten. It's going to be ok. I'm here." He said softly as he stroked her hair.
"What will happen now?" she asked looking up at him when her tears had stopped.
"You will come with me to Hogwarts."
"Can I bring Fearchar?"
"Fearchar?"
"My owl." She said softly, showing her to him.
"Of course kitten. Is there anything else you need?" he asked looking around the room.
"No, I have it all here." She replied pointing to a blanket wrapped bundle.
"How long have you known?" he asked softly.
"Not long, Biddie told me today."
"Told you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"She didn't know it though."
He shook his head softly, his black hair swinging around his face. "Kitten, you are more like your mother everyday." He said with a smile, glancing at his now dead wife.
"I know Papa. Shall we go then?"
"Of course." He replied picking up her bundle and taking her hand. They walked out of the hut, as Biddie and other women of the village walked in. They would take care of Gwendolyn's burial, as was their way.
*~*~*
"So my father brought me to Hogwarts, where all the teachers and staff treated me as family, except for Filch of course. But, even Mrs. Norris would be nice to me, and after a few years, she wouldn't even tell on me if I was out roaming the halls at night.
"I started classed when I was five, after all, there was nothing else for them to do with me during the day, and I already knew how to read and write by that time. So I went to classes, and my life was great, in regards to being able to practice and learning all I could about magic.
"But, on the other hand, my life was terrible. I only had two friends other than the professors, Mrs. Norris and my owl, Fearchar. The other students hated me for being so young and better than them, especially the Slytherins. And with other things happening in my life, Hogwarts got to be too much. So, when I was ten, and had finished my fifth year, I left.
"I wrote my father afterwards and apologized for leaving then I went to America and found my mother's family back here in England. My grandmother had taken her when she was born, so grandfather never knew her. He married a few years after Mama was born, and had another family. I found his other daughter first, and met her.
"Grandfather had often told her of his daughter born before her. She was ecstatic to have finally found her, even though she was sadden to learn of her death. They came to America once to see me, and that's how I met Ony. We were the same age, so we bonded immediately, and after a few weeks we were inseparable."
"And that's the whole story." Hermione said softly.
"What about." Ron began.
"That's the whole story." Hermione said more forcefully. She intended to learn about her cousin's secrets before they did.
"Oh, ok." He replied sensing he had better keep his mouth shut.
"So now what?" Fred asked softly, "I'm guessing you don't want the entire world knowing that you are Snape's daughter."
"Actually, it will be announced tonight at dinner. We figured it was about time the world found out I was still alive."
"Still alive?" Harry asked slightly confused.
"Well, as far as the wizarding world assumed, I had died when I disappeared the summer after I finished my fifth year, and my father would never talk about me to anyone. So." she trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Oh, all right." Harry replied softly.
"Is that how you knew that spell?" Ron asked
"Yeah, when you're five in a school with kids who ostracize you, you have a lot of time to do extra reading." She said with a shrug.
"So are you smarter the Mione?" Ginny asked curiously, "No offense." She continued quickly.
"None taken." Both girls said at once. They smiled then continued.
"Yes."
"No." Kat said at the same time.
"Which is it?" George asked with a smile.
"I think she's smarter than me." Hermione replied.
"And I think you are, because you did most of this on your own without support of the magical world. For my part, very few people know that I am a quarter human. They all assume I'm a pureblood."
An indignant snort was heard from the window and the all looked up in surprise. A white owl sat on the windowsill, with the bluest eyes any of them had ever seen, except for Kat who stood up. "Fearchar? What are you doing here?" she asked holding out her arm.
The owl flew over and landed on her arm, immediately rubbing her head against Kat's shoulder. Then it lifted its leg to show her a small cylinder canister.
Kat removed it and opened it, dropping a rolled up piece of paper in her hand. It floated into the air and unrolled itself before they began to hear her father's voice.
"Ekaterina, dinner starts in half an hour, we figured you and you're friends would lose track of time up there. Please come to the dining room in fifteen minutes with Mr. Potter, your cousin, and the three Mr. Weasley's, and Miss. Weasley. Thank you."
"Well," Kat began after the paper had rolled back up then disappeared, "I guess we are all needed in the dining room."
