So my choice is 'Or Death?' * = definition/explanation/etc at end of chapter

~ Do you like…bread? ~ = thoughts

Chapter 2

In a cab on the Hogwarts Express, fifteen-year-old Harry Potter sighed and leaned back into the soft cushioning of his seat.  September 1st had come about again and he was heading back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his fifth year.  He was greatly looking forward to seeing the huge castle again along with the gamekeeper, Hagrid.

Of course, there were also Filch and Snape, who both had something against him.  Filch probably still held a grudge because he thought Harry had Petrified Mrs. Norris during his second year.  As if he would ever touch that cat!

Snape's dislike of him, however, was a mystery.  Harry's simple existence seemed to fuel Snape's rage and the Potions Master took every opportunity to take points from Gryffindor House or try to get him expelled.  It angered Harry to no end but he didn't hate his professor.  He just wondered what had he done to deserve such ridicule.  It wasn't as though he wasn't any good at Potions.  Hermione always checked over his reports and gave him good remarks on it, yet every time he got said report back from Snape – badda boom – a 'D'.

Shaking his head, Harry looked across the cab and choked back a laugh.  His friend, Ron Weasley, had fallen asleep and was snoring rather loudly.  Beside him, Hermione Granger was looking askance at the ginger-haired boy, glancing up from her rather large book then back down.  Finally, as though she'd had enough, the bushy-haired girl closed her book with a snap and dropped it on Ron's head.  It did absolutely nothing to wake the slumbering boy.

Harry laughed softly at that, earning a hard look from Hermione.  He held up his hands to keep her from attacking him, absently noting – as he had since the beginning of summer – his suddenly long, elegant fingers and hands.  Several odd changes had happened to him over the summer.  His hair had quite suddenly taken on a reddish sheen in certain light and he had gone through a swift growth spurt, going from 5'4 to 5'11.  And through a lack of haircuts, his hair now fell just below his ears.  What made him happy about that was that it was now manageable.

With a smile on his face (what was a tad bit leaner with his cheekbones more pronounced), Harry looked out the window at their surroundings.  Outside there were only long, green fields sometimes speckled with animals.  At one point he had seen a horse galloping across a field and had followed it with his eyes until the train had gone through a tunnel.

Sighing, Harry closed his eyes, leaning his head against the window.  He had not meant to fall asleep but he did.  For a moment his mind drifted peacefully then abruptly he was thrown into a memory he did not fish to relive.  And for all his struggles he could not escape the graveyard in his mind even as he watched Cedric Diggory die once again, as he had seen him do so many times over the summer.  When Wormtail pulled out the silver knife and started to cut into Harry's arm, the teen jerked awake.  His head was throbbing like mad and for a moment he thought it was his scar until he felt Hermione's hand on his cheek.

"Oh, Harry, what did you do?"

"Dream," mumbled Harry, keeping his eyes closed as he felt her fingers probing his throbbing head.  From Hermione's muttering he discerned that he had, in his sleep, suddenly slammed his head hard against the window.  Which would explain the pain in his head and the fact that he had pulled himself out of his dream.  It wasn't the first time he'd awoken himself without knowing it.  A week and a half ago he had been jerked from that same dream and had found himself being slapped by his own hand.

Hermione frowned and poked at his head with her wand.  Harry jerked away and his eyes flew open.

"Ow!"

"Stop complaining," growled Hermione.  "You're the one who deliberately injured yourself.  If you hold still for half a second I can heal it."

Harry held still for a second then pulled back from Hermione's wand again.  When she scowled at him, he grinned cheekily and quipped, "You only said hold still for half a second."

"Get cheeky with me and you can wait until we get up to the castle so Madam Pomfrey can heal you!"

"Are you sure you know how?"

Hermione looked insulted at his question and huffed, "Of course I do!  After what happened last year, I asked Madam Pomfrey to teach me a few Healing Spells.  That way you won't have to go to her so often!"

Harry blanched and quickly said, "Forgivemeforbeingcheekandthankyouforkeepingmefromthehorrorofthehospitalwing."

Hermione laughed at that and flicked her wand at the small lump forming at his temple.  As it shrank, she said, "You're welcome.  Oh, that didn't wake him either?"

Harry noticed she was frowning at Ron and said, "He sleeps like a log."

"No kidding?" said Hermione sarcastically.

Harry laughed then abruptly stopped when the door of their cab slid open and Draco Malfoy entered, followed by his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.  The blond boy sneered at him and said, "Still here, Potter?  I'd have thought you'd be to scared to show your face at Hogwarts again after what you did to Diggory."

"Harry did not do anything to Cedric!" snapped Hermione, jabbing her wand at the Slytherin.  Red sparks spit out of it and Malfoy smirked at Harry.

"Got the Mudblood defending you now, Potter?  Proves you can't fight your own battles…"

"Get out," hissed Harry, head down, hair shielding his eyes from view.

"Why should I?" asked Malfoy, leaning against the doorframe.  "I'm quite comfortable here.  And so is Weasley, it seems," added the blond, his gray eyes flicking to the still slumbering Ron.

"Get out," repeated Harry, still not looking up.

Malfoy sneered and said, "What?  To afraid to look at me, Potter?  Are you scared?"

"No, Malfoy," said Harry softly.  He looked up, eyes shining with an almost otherworldly fury.  "But you should be."  Those words were not spoken in vain.  The tone they were said in was one of complete seriousness, not a shred of the anger burning in the emerald eyes in it.

Malfoy took a step back in surprise.  He frowned and said softly, "You would have made a good Slytherin, Potter."

Harry only growled in response and Malfoy retreated out into the corridor, one hand raised.

"I'm going, Potter.  But I'll be back."

"We'll see," said Harry softly, smirking in a way that was almost familiar.  Malfoy glared at him until Hermione slammed the door shut in his face and slid the curtains across it.  Then she turned towards Harry, who was looking out the window again.

"What was that about?"

Harry looked at her, all anger gone from his eyes now.  He shrugged and replied, "Nothing, Mione."

Hermione frowned at her friend and started to say something when the conductor voice rang through the train, telling them that they were about to arrive at Hogwarts.

* * * * * *

Ahead at Hogwarts, Saerry was getting acquainted with the Fat Lady's portrait, who she had stumbled upon in her search for her brother.  Currently she had been there for an hour and was now sitting on the floor, listening intently as the portrait told her about her mother, who had been a Gryffindor.

"She was a lovely girl, your mother," said the Fat Lady.  "Like you."

"I remember," mumbled Saerry.  "Barely."

The Fat Lady smiled reassuringly down at her.

"Just look in your mirror to see her, dear.  But I daresay you have your father's coloring."

Saerry nodded.  She could vaguely remember that her mother's hair had been auburn and her eyes had been a brilliant cobalt.  "Yeah," she said softly.

"I just hope you have her mischievous streak," said the Fat Lady.  "That scamp of a brother of yours used to have it.  Speaking of your brother…"  The portrait turned towards a dark figure walking towards them and waved.  "Hello, Severus."

"Lady," said Severus curtly, nodding to her.  He then looked down at Saerry and added, "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start.  I thought you might want to see it."

The dark brown eyes lit up and Severus chuckled.

"I see you do."

Saerry beamed in response and held out her hand.  Severus grasped it and pulled her to her feet, performing a Scouring Charm on her deep red robes to get rid of the dust that had gathered upon them.  He then turned to the Fat Lady and made a short bow.  "Lady."

"Scamp," admonished the portrait, earning a small smile from the Potions Master.  "And I hope you come back and see me, dear."

"It was a pleasure talking to you, Lady," said Saerry with a smile.  "I will come back sometime."

The Fat Lady smiled after them as she watched them walk off, Saerry's hand nestled in the crook of her brother's arm.  She shook her head and said to herself, "I sincerely hope that young woman will bring some life back into that man's life.  He needs it dearly."

* * * * * *

"How was your summer, Harry?"

Harry turned his head to look at Fred as they walked up the steps into the castle, twitching in shock when he realized he was the same height as the older boy.  He shook off his surprise and replied, "Same as usual," trying dearly not to remember the summer.  The Dursley's had generally left him alone but the nightmare's Harry had had during those months were full of Death Eater meetings and torture.

"Mum tried to get Dumbledore to let you come to the Burrow," explained Fred, also noting the younger boy's sudden growth spurt.

"Let me guess," spat Harry bitterly, "he didn't go for it?"

Fred looked a little surprised by the bitter tone but nodded and replied, "No go."

Harry snorted.  "Figures."

"Why do you say that, Harry?" ask Ginny, suddenly coming up on his right.

"Oh just the usual.  It's always the same.  Let's leave poor Harry Potter in the hands of his hateful relatives.  Let's not let Harry Potter visit his friends.  Let's keep Harry Potter isolated so Voldemort (everyone but Hermione winced) won't find him.  Will we see what Harry thinks?  No.  We'll just scoot him along because we just simply can't loose him because he's the Boy-Who-Lived."  Harry snorted when he finished then added in a soft voice, so soft that only Ginny and Hermione – who were closest to him – could hear it.  "Sometimes I just want to say 'Fuck the Boy-Who-Lived.  Just let me be Harry.'  Can't I just be Harry for one bloody day?  Is it too much to ask?"

Hermione frowned at her friend and reached out to touch his shoulder.  At her touch, he turned wide emerald eyes on her.

"You heard that?" he gasped.

Hermione nodded solemnly and Harry grumbled, "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Harry…" began Hermione, but was cut off when Harry turned around and jerked away from her, hurrying on up the steps.  Ron stared after him for a moment then looked at Hermione.

"What was that about?"

Hermione gave Ron a sad look that almost said 'Don't you know?' then shook her head and took the steps up in twos quickly.  Ginny frowned for a moment then followed the other girl.

"Anyone get what just happened?" said Ron to his brothers.

Fred shook his head and George said, "I think there's a bit more up with Harry than he's letting on.  Did you hear that tirade?"

"That wasn't a tirade," admonished Fred, "that was a rant."

"Sorry.  Confusing Harry with Mum."

Ron shuddered and remarked, "Scary image.  C'mon, let's catch up."

"Right-o," said the twins in unison and ran ahead into the Great Hall.  Ron shook his head, looking up at the ceiling as if to say 'Why me?' then followed.

* * * * * *

Another day of Sorting for me,

For it is my job to sort thee.

In one House you shall go

But which one you shall not know.

Perhaps in Gryffindor,

Where the brave are found

Or in Hufflepuff,

Where the loyal abound.

Maybe in Ravenclaw,

Where knowledge is a virtue.

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

Where cunning is key.

Into one I will place you

And there you shall stay.

So put me on in just one flourish,

And I'll tell you, which House suits you.

McGonagall had to cough to get the first years attention after the Sorting Hat finished singing and said, "When I call your name, you will come up and sit on the stool.  I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and it will tell you what your House is to be."

"Ainsworth, Jeffrey."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Arney, Matt."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Babcock, Linda."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Sorting went rather fast, no child staying under the Hat longer than a minute and a half.  Each table applauded as a new member was added to its House, revealing to those first years who didn't know where their House was the location.

"Vigoda, Cyrus."

"SLYTHERIN!"

With a flourish McGonagall rolled up her scroll and picked up the Sorting Hat and stool, carrying them out of the Hall.  In new students, Gryffindor had received ten along with Hufflepuff.  Ravenclaw had only gotten nine while Slytherin had taken in the most, earning a total of twelve.

When McGonagall returned, Dumbledore rose from his seat, lifting a hand for quiet.  Older students quickly fell silent then shushed the younger students around them.  When the Hall was silent, Dumbledore spoke.

"Welcome to a new year," he said.  "And welcome to new students.  I only have one thing to say to all of you and that is tuck in."

As the headmaster sat down, the plates on the tables filled with food and the students dug in.  At the Gryffindor table, Ron was stuffing his mouth like the food was going to disappear.  Hermione gave him a look of disgust then looked at Harry, who was sitting across from her and stabbing his fork at the potatoes on his plate.

"Are you not hungry?" she asked curiously.

Harry shook his head and sighed heavily, letting his fork drop into his plate and leaned back, rubbing his hands over his eyes.  It was then that Hermione noticed the faint circles under his eyes.

"Harry," she said, "have you not gotten any sleep?"

"Not lately," replied the boy, giving her a weary look.  "I'm hoping I'll sleep better here than at the Dursley's."

"Maybe you should go ask Madam Pomfrey for a Sleeping Potion."

Harry snorted and shook his head.

"And have her insist I stay in the hospital wing for the night?  Thanks, but no thanks, Mione.  I've spent enough time in there.  I hate staying in there."

"I think everyone does," said Hermione.

"I think I hate it more than anyone else."

"How can you be sure?"

Harry smirked and replied, "Just trust me on this one, Hermione.  Nobody can possibly despise the hospital wing more than I do.  Unless they've got a phobia of hospitals…  Then I think they'd beat me."

Hermione chuckled then looked down at her plate, mind whirling.  Harry had smirked.  And with his fairly different appearance he had almost resembled someone.  But who?

"Hey, look," said Seamus suddenly, "Professor Lupin's back."

Harry practically whirled in his seat and grinned broadly when he saw that, indeed, Remus Lupin was back.  His eyes met the returning professor's gray and he waved, earning a smile and a nod in return.  Turning back to his friends, Harry said softly, "Well, Defense'll be interesting this year for sure."

"I thought it was interesting enough last year," said Lavender sharply from further down the table.  "Professor Moody was very harsh."

At the mention of 'Moody' Harry's eyes hardened and he snapped, "Yeah, well, that could have had something to do with him being V - "

"Very busy teaching us what we needed to know!" exclaimed Hermione, giggling nervously.  When Lavender frowned at her then looked away, the bushy-haired girl whirled on Harry.  "What were you thinking?  You can't let them know that!"

Harry snorted and picked up his fork again, viciously stabbing at a potato.  When Hermione had started to eat again, he growled, "Don't tell me what to do and what not to do, Hermione.  I get enough of that as is, thanks."

Hermione looked up and said, "Harry…"  But he had already turned away, suddenly talking to George suddenly about the Quidditch team.  Hermione sighed and poked at her plate for the rest of the feast.

* * * * * *

"I only have a few announcements this year.  Firstly, the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden.  A few students would do well to remember that."

Further down the staff table, Saerry could not help but nod in agreement.  Her own pack (her reentry into the wizarding world could not omit the fact that they were still her pack) roamed the border that stood between Hogwarts and the forest.  And she could vouch for them attacking any who came onto their grounds with evil or mischievous intent.

"Secondly," said Dumbledore, "all Hogsmeade trips this year have been canceled…"

A loud moan from the student body drowned out his next words.  McGonagall rapped her spoon against her goblet for silence.

"As I was saying, all Hogsmeade trips have been canceled (a few more soft moans) due to the returned of Voldemort.  All students are to be in bed by nine o' clock sharp."  Dumbledore cast his eyes about the Hall, alighting upon a few students.  "And this means all students, Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl included."

"Now," said Dumbledore lightly, clasping his hands together, "all of you are probably wondering about the two new faces at the table.  Or, perhaps only one for some of you."

A few students laughed and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

"Firstly, Remus Lupin has decided to return his services to us as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Cheers went up from every table except for Slytherin (there were a few scattered bits of applause).  Harry, Ron, and Hermione probably applauded the loudest of all the students, causing Lupin to blush.

At the staff table, Saerry leaned around her brother to have a look at the returning professor who was getting so much praise.  Her dark eyes widened as the wolf sensed that he too was a werewolf as she was.  She remembered seeing him around the castle in the two weeks she'd been there before the term had started again but had never spoken to him or gotten close enough for the wolf to sense a kindred spirit.  But she could sense something else about him.  He was in pain.  The human part of him smelled faintly of pain.  This surprised her.

~ Perhaps he does not connect with the wolf, ~ she thought, leaning back into her chair.  When she had first been turned and brought into her pack, she had fought the wolf.  But when she fought, the transformation hurt even more than it usually did.  Acceptance of the wolf lessened the pain.  After all, how could you not accept something that was a part of you, even if you had never asked for it?

"And let me assure all of you that Professor Lupin is quite harmless.  On the days that he will not be able to teach his classes, I shall be substituting."

Saerry blinked.  ~ The students know he's a werewolf? ~ she thought, seeing faces among the student body frown but most laugh softly.  The boy at the Gryffindor table who had waved at Lupin earlier simply grinned at the weary looking professor, causing Saerry to jump.  ~ That boy… ~ she hissed in her head.

"As some of you might have noticed, we do not have the space for another teacher.  Yet there is one more person at the staff table.  An intriguing mystery, no doubt."

Severus snorted softly from Saerry's left and she turned to smile gently at her brother, whose only response was a twitch at the corner of his mouth.  He'd explained before that he had a reputation to keep among his students as a slimy bastard and she understood.  She just wished it didn't have to be so.

Dumbledore smiled and looked down the table at her, saying loudly, "May I introduce Miss Saerry Snape."

Around the Hall several jaws dropped in awe and Saerry could not help but chuckle.  She knew she had her brother's coloring (minus the fact that her own eyes were dark brown and his were black) but that whilst she had gained their mother's almost angelic looks, he had gained a mixture of their mother and father.  Of course, very few students knew that his nose had been broken fifteen different times during his school years – nine times by a Bludger and six by Sirius Black's fist – thus giving it its current look.

"Miss Snape will not be teaching any classes (a few students sighed at this) but she may however be sitting in on a few of your own.  Now, off you trot!"

Saerry watched the students as they rose to leave, her eyes particularly upon the young man at the Gryffindor table.  Under the light of the floating candles above his head, his black hair had a red sheen almost the color of blood.  As she watched him leave with his friends, she studied him, shocked at what she saw.

His build was almost exactly like her brother's, tall and lanky with broad shoulders.  The only difference between them was that the boy was skinner (though Severus was pretty close) and he only appeared to 5'11 while Severus was a towering 6'3.  His face was almost Severus' as well but not quite.  It was as though her brother's face was peeking through but was hidden by the face of someone else.  Very strange…  Perhaps she was imagining things.

"Saer?"

Saerry jumped as her brother's voice sounded right by her ear, his breath tickling.  She reached up and gave him a playful shove, snapping, "Stop that!"

"What?" he said, giving her an innocent look that only reached his eyes.

"You know what, silly goose," admonished Saerry as she rose gracefully from her chair to stand beside her brother.

"I am afraid I don't know what you are referring to, madam."

Saerry shook her head at him and finally earned a smile.  She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see that the students had all dispersed and now the teachers were leaving the Hall.  ~ Ah, ~ she thought.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," said a new voice suddenly.  Saerry turned her eyes away from her brother and found them focusing on the face of the new Defense professor.  He was holding a hand out towards her, which she slipped her own into with a smile.

"No, I don't believe we have," she replied.  "I have seen you around the castle though."

"And I you.  I did not want to disturb the two of you."  His gray eyes flicked from her to Severus and back and she smiled.

"How kind of you, Mr. Lupin."

"Please," he said, "call me Remus."

Saerry smiled and said, "Very well, Remus.  And please, call me Saerry.  I feel I shall never get used to being called Miss Snape.  I've always considered that our mother's title."

Remus blinked then realized she was talking about herself and Severus.

"Well," he said with a smile, "I can sympathize with you.  I've yet to get used to being called 'professor'."

Saerry chuckled and squeezed his hand, which she had not let go of during their entire conversation.  "Well," she said, "it is a pleasure to meet you, Remus.  Perhaps we can talk again."

Remus smiled.  "Perhaps," he said.  Then he released her hand and nodded to both her and her brother.  "Good night, Saerry, Severus."

"Lupin," growled Severus, his eyes glittering darkly as he watched the man walk off.

As soon as he was gone, Saerry turned a frown upon her brother.

"What was that about?"

"What?" asked Severus as he offered her his arm and she took his, the two of them walking around the staff table and heading down the center of the Hall towards the doors.

"That back there.  I heard the tone you used, Severus Sadiron Salazar Snape."

"Tone, dear sister?"

"Severus," growled Saerry warningly, her eyes snapping.

"May I state that Lupin very nearly killed me during my fifth year?"

"Mum said that was a cruel joke."

Severus looked down at her in shock as they stepped through the mirror in the entrance hall that led to the professor's quarters.  "You remember that?"

"Well I forgot it during my time with the pack, but since I've been back here, I've remembered a large amount of things."

"Saer…"

"Sev, I remember quite clearly that Mum said Sirius Black was responsible for nearly sending you to your death.  And if Remus was that werewolf, he had no control over himself.  You have no right to blame him.  After all, you did take advice from Sirius Black, who I recall you hated with a passion."

"Still hate with a passion," grumbled Severus.

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?" asked Severus suspiciously.

"That you will stop blaming Remus for that prank," replied Saerry.

"Oh, Saer…"

"Severus!"

"Alright!  Dear sister, please refrain from yelling in my ears.  It reminds me far too much of Minerva when I was a student."

"I believe I grabbed your ear as well, Severus," said McGonagall as she came up behind them, smiling.

"And my ear shall never forget it," quipped Severus as he opened the door to Saerry's quarters, hearing McGonagall chuckle as she disappeared into her own rooms.

Saerry pulled away from her brother and walked into the rooms she had been given (which were in reality her brother's but as he resided in the dungeons, they had remained empty), placing a hand on the door.  She smiled at her older brother and said, "Good night, Sev."

"Good night," he replied, smiling at her before he turned and headed back down the corridor.  Saerry knew he was heading for his rooms in the dungeons and wished that he did not reside there.  But he said he preferred to be closer to the House he resided over and that the dungeons were much more peaceful than any of the upstairs quarters.

~ Same old Sev, ~ thought Saerry with a light chuckle as she closed her door and headed for bed.  ~ Always wants his quiet. ~