Unexpected Help by Auriana

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Prologue

Severus Snape couldn't remember her name. The woman had left just minutes ago, claiming that her family would miss her. Severus doubted that, since he had picked her up from the street just before midnight. She had told him that she had Seen them together for a night, nothing more. So, pushing away any voices in his head yelling at him not to do this, he accepted and rented a room at a nearby inn, leading her there. She was stunning and beautiful in her own way. She had black hair and obsidian eyes, much like himself, and was quite tall. But there was something that was different about her from any other woman he had ever met. Something about the way she held herself and her demeanor that gave off a feeling of foreboding and danger. She also had an underlying power that he could sense but couldn't identify. She was like a poisonous apple whose skin looked slightly rotted and dead, but did not kill all who ventured a bit in the apple instead choosing to make them addicted to the darkness and all that crept through it. He just didn't know what felt so different about her. Perhaps, he thought, it was the cold aura that radiated off her when she moved.

Something was coming back to him. Was her name Morana, or perhaps Anthanasia? Didn't Morana mean Death? He couldn't remember. His mind seemed to have escaped him. What did he care, anyway? She was just a little bitch. That's it! She is a cold hard bitch and that is all. No need to waste time on something that simple. Underlying power my arse!

Severus shook his head and dressed, preparing to leave the room and carry on with his life. All the while, though, a little voice in the back of his head was silently telling him that just letting the problem go was a very stupid idea and that it would come back to haunt him. But when had Severus Snape ever listened to his conscience? Never.

Chapter One

Seventeen years later, Severus Snape sat at the High Table in the Great Hall waiting for the First Years and, according to Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster, a Seventh Year exchange student from across the Big Pond, to arrive. Around him were smiling faces and happy people. He felt sick. So many happy people. He didn't understand how they could be happy when they knew Voldemort was out there. But they don't know what goes on at a Dark Revel, do they? Thought Severus, his eyes cold and haunted and his smile scary and twisted. He glanced down at the Golden Trio sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione Granger, the brains of the trio was scolding Ronald Weasley, the sidekick. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived was staring off into space. Granger, done scolding Weasley, was attempting the engage Potter in conversation, to no avail, when the Great Hall burst open.

A hush ascended on the hall as Professor McGonagall led the scared First Years and a lone Seventh Year exchange student towards the three legged stool that sat in the center of the room. Whisperings followed the exchange student as she walked, head held high, on Professor McGonagall's right. Severus felt a decidedly familiar sense wash over him as he continued to stare at the exchange student. She seemed very familiar. He had seen either her or someone with the same likeness before, he knew that much. But something nagged at the back of his mind, trying to reveal a long forgotten memory of something or other. He pushed the nagging voice away and proceeded to act bored and glare at talking students as the Sorting Hat finished Its song and the sorting commenced.

He passed almost forty minutes of sorting by discreetly writing notes to Remus Lupin, who had been asked back the teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, on a napkin. Severus Snape was not all that of a bastard. He did speak in a civilized way to adults, and only adults, but not children. Which is why no one at the High Table said anything about the notes if, that is, they even realized notes were being passed.

There was only one person left to sort: the American Exchange Student. Severus and Remus Lupin ceased their note passing to watch the girl with unhidden curiosity. Professor McGonagall looked at the scroll of names, glanced at the Headmaster who nodded, and then back down to the scroll. "Snape, Serena." She called out. Whispering broke out as the girl stepped forward. She looked at Snape and sat down, flinging her long black from her face.

Severus Snape sat in his seat, mouth open in shock and eyebrows raised in disbelief. Had anyone looked at him, which they did, they were very surprised to see a completely different Potions Master. Instead of his usual scowl or glare, he was so shocked and surprised enough that he didn't bother hiding his feelings.

Just as Professor McGonagall was about to place the Sorting Hat on Serena Snape's head, Severus Snape shot up out of his seat, knocking it back with a loud clang. "I have no daughter. She cannot possibly be a Snape. I am the last Snape alive. I have no children. She cannot be a Snape. She cannot." His eyes were darting back and forth, scanning the hall for something out of the ordinary, as if he thought this to be a joke. The Headmaster opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and sent warning looks to all the teachers just waiting to ask all sorts of personal questions aimed only as Severus.

Serena Snape spun around on the stool to face him and said in a haughty voice, "Hello Father. Aren't you nice. Mother warned me, of course, but I thought that even you would have some kindness for his daughter."

"Who are you?" Severus asked, face contorting into a completely bewildered expression.

Serena answered smartly, "Serena Snape. You daughter."

It took awhile for the four words to register in his mind. He had a daughter. Or at least, she claimed that he did. He had a daughter. Oh god, he thought, who is the mother. Not one of his fellow Death Eaters? Clearing his throat, schooled his features into a blank yet penetrating stare. "And who, Miss Snape, is the Mother?" He asked as if this daughter of his was merely a student in his house.

"Father tell me you remember! Seventeen years ago, you met a woman who said she had Seen the two of you together. Any man would have thought her to be a cold hard bitch. Because with one kiss you'd be on your knees waiting for her to give you what you wanted." Serena smiled and titled her head to the side and continued. "Of course, she still is. And Sir?" She turned to look at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry about the usage of the profanity. Sorry."

"Seventeen years ago?" Severus asked uncertain. Then it all came back. The memory rushed back, unbidden, of a tall woman with black hair and obsidian eyes that he had picked up from the street. He had rented a room in the nearest inn and they'd spent the night there. Oh god.

Serena, sensing that her father had finally realized who she was talking about, turned to Professor McGonagall. "May I be sorted now, ma'am?"

Professor McGonagall, startled out of her shocked silence, nodded and smiled. She picked up the Sorting Hat and was about to put it on Serena's head when it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" Serena slid off the stool and sauntered over to the Slytherin table as applause broke out, though it was considerably softer than the previous clapping. Everyone was still in shock.

Suddenly the sound of someone knocking on the Great Hall doors reverberated through the hall. Dumbledore, even omnipotent as he is, drew his wand and the staff followed. This was what they feared. Voldemort had literally come knocking on their door, requesting to finish the war off once and for all. But then Dumbledore slid his wand back up his sleeve and called out, "Come in!"

Teachers and students with the exception of Serena Snape looked at Dumbledore as if he had gone bonkers. He was letting someone in? What if it was Voldemort? But then, they realized, he is all-knowing so this person must be of no harm.

The doors swung inward and the shadows of the foyer outside the hall flooded in, hiding the person the seeked entrance to the Great Hall. A feeling of power and coldness swept in and surrounded the hall and a woman's silhouette strolled through the shadowed entrance. As the figure emerged from the dark cover everyone had a chance to look over the imposing woman. She was six feet tall with long, pure black hair that fell to her waist, slightly shrunken obsidian eyes, pale skin that was stretched over a very bony body that seemed to have no fat on it, and long and sharp fingernails.

She stepped forward, tilted her head in greeting and was almost ready to pick up the voluminous velvet that made up her corset-like dress to move forward, when a figure slipped its arms around the woman's waist. The woman looked down, startled, only to find Serena Snape hugging her fondly. The woman smiled, showing rather sharp teeth.

"Welcome, Mother. It's great that you came. I though you were away on business." Serena's mouth curved downwards at the end of her rushed greeting and introduction of sorts. The woman Serena Snape had referred to as Mother gently pried Serena's arms from her waist and kissed her daughters forehead. Serena blushed and backed away, knowing that her Mother had business with Hogwarts and her Father.

The woman turned from her daughter's retreating form to the High Table. Her cold gaze landed on a certain black haired, black eyed, and black clothed man. She titled her head to the side and whispered, "Hello, lover." Her smoldering black eyes flickered to Albus Dumbledore then back to Severus Snape.

Severus stood, dipping his head in greeting and returned her burning stare with a cold silence and glare. "Your name, lady." He asked with mock politeness. He did not like this woman placing a daughter he never knew he had in his world so suddenly and without his permission.

"My name, sir, is neither your business nor any occupant in this hall excluding my daughter." She pursed her lips in concentration and annoyance as she contemplated something."I may, however, come to tell you my name, but only in time."

Severus, tired of waiting for her name, spoke up harshly. "Have you forgotten your own name? Or are you so frightened that you simple cannot speak?" He voice cut through the hall like an evil thought found in Heaven.

The woman's jaw tightened and her eyes rose slowly from the ground, a fire burning deep within. "No, I am not frightened by anyone in this room. For non have power to match me, muggle or not. I do remember my name but am not as willing to speak it for fear of judgment." She raised her chin defiantly and went on, her fierce tone seeping into Severus' very bones. "However, against my utmost feeling of impending doom that should arise upon the hearing of my name, I shall tell you my name. It is Morana."

No one made a sound as Morana said her name. For some reason, no one could dare to make a noise however slight it may be. They were afraid. Who was this Morana?

Suddenly Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy came running up to where Morana stood. She started and stared somewhat awed as they knelt before her, heads bowed and humbled. That is, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger bowed while Harry Potter stood with his head down. Morana sighed and bent to lift up Draco and Hermione's chin.

"Arise, children, arise." Her tone was soft, gentle. A great contrast from the frosty bitterness just seconds ago.

Hermione and Draco stood slowly. Morana smiled and whispered something to the two and they smiled, looking up into her face instead of her feet. Morana

turned to Harry Potter and said, "Do you not show respect for me?"

Draco and Hermione turned suddenly realizing that Harry had not bowed. Their smiled turned to looks of anxiety and worry. What would she do to Harry, who had committed treason since he had not bowed?

"I do not bow to those who have caused these Dark Times." Harry said viciously.

"Ah, but I did not cause these time."

"No. You did not, but you did teach the one who did." Harry paused and then added, "But I do not mean disrespect. I stand before you because I wish to convey my respect without bowing. You must understand my predicament, Lady. You must understand."

"I do. You need not bow. You are my Equal, Harry. As are your friends and anyone in this hall. We are Equal." Then, as an afterthought, "For now." She smiled at Harry and placed a hand on his cheek when a timid voice slid across the hall. The voice belonged to Colin Creevy.

"I'm confused." One by one, voices joined Colin Creevy's as they tried desperately to make sense of what was happening. Then all at once, the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ceased talking as Ablus Dumbledore stood, addressing Morana and her three newly found companions.

"I seem to have lost track of the conversation when Harry, Draco, and Hermione rushed forward and bowed to someone they do not know. Morana, if I may, I ask you to explain." Dumbledore's smile did not reach his twinkling yet troubled eyes.

Morana sighed. "The three children only figured out who I am seconds before, so they could not show the proper respect earlier." When it seemed that no one understood she went on. "I am Immortal. I was born with Vampiric blood and I have lived for many a century. I learned all the Dark Arts available and created many curses myself. I taught many magical people Dark Arts but I told them the consequences if they ever tried to use the Dark Arts I taught them to start wars or battles. There was one pupil of mine who stood above all the others. He thrived from every curse I threw at him, from every poison he drank, and from every human he slaughtered." She paused and took in a large breath, only to exhale it with much vigor. "I would like to point out that he was told not to drink poisons and never to slaughter people for fun. But, anyway, he scared me. He had power I'd never seen before. Well, other than my own, but still. He was out of my control and he would not listen to anything I told him. He did not stop even after I cursed almost to death. There was nothing I could do. I Obliviated him, but somehow his memory came back to him."

Morana stopped, afraid to go on but a nudge from Harry sent her talking. "His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. He is now known as Lord Voldemort." Morana did not stop to see the shocked, disgusted, and confused looks on the hundreds of faces in the Great Hall. "I am here now to offer myself to the Order and against Voldemort and his followers. I can not stand the fact that he has power to rival mine even now, a few decades later. Please, I'll do anything to help defeat Voldemort. Please!" She looked up at Dumbledore her eyes pleading with him, her cold demeanor replaced with a desperate sadness.

Severus Snape frowned at Morana. "You said that his power rivals yours. How do you expect to help us?" His cold voice sliced through her and suddenly her foreboding stance was back.

"I do not reply on magic alone to fight my enemies. I have a great hold over to American Mafia and they will be willing to help if only to shed blood with their hands. Not to mention my Vampiric blood magic and hidden powers." At this she smirked, revealing that her hidden powers were a mouth full of glistening white and rather pointy teeth.

"Please. I need to undo, or at least try to undo, what I have created. I need to stop the monster I taught. I need to do something." Morana fell to her knees, begging.

Dumbledore regarded Morana's kneeling form, his eyes had suddenly lost their twinkle and he asked, "How do we know you are here by free will, not sent by Voldemort to penetrate our school?"

Morana stood and her face wore a look of exasperation as she answered. "Veritaserum. Check my body for the Dark Mark that Voldemort brands his followers with." Here she glanced at Severus Snape, her eyes roaming down to his left forearm. Her gaze returned to the man who held her truth in question, dangling it on a thin string from the top of Hogwarts. "I would have though that obvious to anyone in this hall."

The general populous of the Great Hall murmured their agreement and Albus instructed Morana to reveal her left arm. Morana looked slightly sheepish as she told Albus that she had to discard her whole corset top to reveal her arms. Albus' mouth hung in a slight 'O' but he quickly recovered.

"Would you prefer to go to another room and have a female member of the staff to check for the mark?" He asked, a blush creeping around his beard.

Morana shook her head, smiling as she thought back to what she had said and what it sounded like. "No, sir. I was merely stating that I had to remove my top to reveal my arms so as not alarm anyone when I stripped it off. You see, sir, I wear a corset-like top, but it is not the real corset that I wear. I wear the real corset underneath and that does not show too much, so if I were to take off the top layer of corsets I would not be revealing anything but my arms, neck, and a bit of stomach. I wear a skirt below that. If that is alright with you, sir."

Dumbledore looked slightly abashed that she had divulged her articles of clothing to everyone in the Great Hall and rather mortified that she wore two corsets. And not those fake corsets but the real corset worn by women in the 1800's. He along with the rest of Hogwarts hadn't the faintest idea of how she could breath.

"Oh, it is quite easy to breath. It took awhile to become used to the corsets when I started to wear them, but that was over a century ago." Morana answered to the unspoken question absently as she untied to top corset, her arms bent around her back. Dumbledore shook his head in wonder at Morana. She can read thoughts without even trying to, he thought and Morana, upon picking up his thought, raised her head and gave him a smile.

"There." Her corset slid off, revealing her pale skin, thin and fat-less body and her other corset which uplifted her pale breasts. She was seductive with every move she made. Every boy and man in the hall, with the exception of Albus Dumbledore, was drawn to her. And she knew precisely what effect she had on all those of the male gender who had already hit puberty. She always had that effect.

Across the Great Hall, Serena Snape smirked at the obvious male attraction to her Mother. Serena knew that she would soon have that effect on every man she every encountered in her Immortal life. She would also grow into many other powers rarely were given to humans. She would be able to read thoughts, smell emotions, see both the future and the past, hear anything up to two miles away, and seduce anyone. Not to mention that no one without prior knowledge would know she was Immortal because anyone born was not harmed by sun, stakes or crosses. However, a person of Vampiric blood who was sired and not born Immortal would suffer from the sun, stakes, and crosses.

Morana turned to her daughter while Minerva McGonagall checked her body over for any mention of the Dark Mark. She caught Serena's gaze and conveyed her thought over to her daughter via Occlumency. You have the power to own everyone. You can enslave them all. Remember that when you want to have sex or become emotionally attached to one person. Also, I would like to point out that with extra work, you could seduce member of our sex and have them as well. Do not limit yourself to one gender. Why go for only half of the world when you can have to whole thing? Serena shook her head in amazement at what her mother did sometimes.

Professor McGonagall finished and announced that Morana was clean and obviously not a follower of Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore took no time in letting Morana join the 'Good Side' and, after much thought, promoting her to General of the Army. The Army wasn't really any army, just a bunch of students, teachers, and Order members willing to fight Lord Voldemort.

"Good. Now," Morana said, taking up the tone of a demanding teacher. "You will start training immediately." She turned, gathered her discarded corset and walked back down the Great Hall with the air of one who was all-powerful and in complete control, stopping only when she reached to the door to add, "Voldemort will attack in five days. Be here by seven in the morning tomorrow."

With that, she stepped out of the hall, leaving everyone in her wake in a frenzied hysteria.

Author's Note: Okay, so I am just posting this to see if anyone is interested in it. If a lot of people are, then I'll write the rest (it will only be about five to seven chapters long.) This is just something I came up with at three in the morning yesterday, so it's not that good. Anyway, review and you shall get more.

Oh, and I realize that one of the main characters is an OC, but in time you reader shall realize that you know the OC because she (Morana) is actually in HP. Of course, not under the name Morana. Just thought I'd give you the hint.