Chapter Two: The House of Snape…

Lillith immediately got a reply from her father telling her where the portkey was. After two hours of resting, the train screeched to a halt.

"What is it?" Eekie asked looking out the window.

"We are at the New York train station. Come on, we have to find the portkey, dad said it looked like an empty soda bottle…"

By the time Eekie started looking near the food court Lillith had found it.

"Quickly! No! No time for food! Get over here!" she said as Eekie ran over and touched the bottle. In a whirl of light they landed smack dab in the middle of Cornelius Fudge's office.

"What-what-what? What is this?" he yelled.

"Sorry Mr. Fudge. We'll just be going now…" Lillith said as they headed towards the door.

"Who gave you permission to use a portkey to get into my office?" he demanded.

"Excuse me sir, but we just grabbed it and didn't know that it would land in here. I was actually assuming it would land in the Atrium…or in the Department of Mysteries…" Eekie said.

"Well I never!" he huffed.

"Sorry for disturbing you sir, we'll just be leaving now…" Lillith started to sneak out of the room.

"Oh no you won't! You shall be staying right you until we contact your parents!"

Lillith and Eekie both knew that either they or Fudge were in for it. Even though they wouldn't be able to contact Eekie's guardians, Lillith was positive that they'd get a hold of her father. Poor, poor Mr. Fudge….

Fudge got out a piece of parchment and started to write. Without looking up he asked them who their parents were.

"Severus Snape," Lillith replied.

Fudge looked at her blankly, "I didn't know that Snape had a child. Why weren't you registered at Hogwarts?"

"He wanted me to study abroad, so he sent me to an American school,"

"I see…and you red eyes?" he demanded.

"Um…"

"Just let my father deal with it," Lillith butted in. She saw out of the corner of her eye Eekie mouthing thank you.

"Fine, but I still need to know both of your full names for the records…"

"Eekie Riddle," Eekie said.

"Lillith Lockhart-Snape," Fudge looked confused, but sent of the letter immediately.

The three sat in awkward silence as they waited for Snape to show up. They didn't have to wait long before he barged through the door.

"Hello Severus," Fudge said casually.

"What is the meaning of this? They did nothing wrong, so why make them wait here?"

"These children have used an unauthorized portkey to land in my office,"

"Mr. Fudge, did you even give them a chance to explain themselves?"

"No. I didn't ask and I don't care. Just pay the fine and be on your way,"

Snape threw down fourteen Sickles and motioned for the girls to follow. Once they had left the Ministry of Magic, they traveled by floo powder to the house of Snape. As soon as they arrived, he turned to face them.

"What happened?"

Lillith explained everything as Eekie looked around.

Once Lillith was done Severus spoke, "I see. So…this is your friend that you invited to stay with us until we can get you both registered at Hogwarts?"

"Yup!" she smiled.

"It's a good thing that there is only a week of summer break left. I'll write to Dumbledore and tell him what happened. The Order of the Phoenix has to know as well. In the meantime, show your friend where she will be sleeping,"

"What will we need for school?" Eekie asked.

Snape turned around, "Dumbledore will send a list after I register you two. Which reminds me, what is your name?" he asked coldly.

"…Riddle,"

"What?"

"Eekie Riddle,"

Snape's eyebrow rose. He then shooed the girls out of the room and began writing to Dumbledore. Something strange was going on.

"Lillith…your house is HUGE!" Eekie said.

"It's not as big as some of our friend's houses…but it's a home," she said as she pushed open the doors to the guest room.

"So…got any pets?"

"That was random…but all we have is a family owl. I really want a snake though,"

"Nice! Well, what would your parents think if I got you a snake in thanks for letting me stay here?" Eekie said as she threw her clothes on the bed.

"Well, Daddy Severus won't really care, but Daddy Gilderoy…"

"WAIT! DID YOU JUST SAY DADDY SEVERUS AND DADDY GILDEROY?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you didn't I? How could it slip my mind in the five years I've known you not to tell you," She laughed, "My parents are gay,"

"…so that's why you are so weird about them. I thought you were just a pureblood who hated your family,"

"I'm that too,"

"So…how about that snake?" Eekie smiled.

Lillith smiled, "I'd love a to have a snake,"

"Where's the nearest pet store?"

Lillith thought for a moment, "Hmm….I think it's in Diagon Alley. But they wouldn't have snakes there…but I know where would. Wait right here, I'll be right back with some floo powder," she ran out of the room.

Eekie looked around the room a bit more. Very clean, very tidy, nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for all of the spell books, but that is to be expected from a pureblood wizarding family. She noticed one book in particular that was upside down. Eekie pulled it out of its place and looked at the cover. She recognized the markings on the cover as necromancy markings. She almost opened the book when Lillith came running back in with a handful of floo powder.

"Eekie, could you light the fireplace without blowing us all up?" Lillith teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Eekie said as she lit the fireplace and stood back.

"Okay, throw the floo powder in and say 'Knockturn Alley'. Is that perfectly clear?" Lillith asked.

"Yes,"

"Okay, you go first,"

Eekie threw the powder into the fireplace and then stepped in, "KNOCKTURN ALLEY!" she yelled. In a poof of smoke she was gone. Lillith soon followed.

Eekie fell out of a fireplace in a strange looking shop. Lillith tumbled out afterward covered head to toe in soot. There was a pale blonde boy looking around the shop. He looked at the two girls and cringed his nose as if they were rubbish.

"Good afternoon Lillith," he sneered.

"Hello Draco," she droned.

He looked at Eekie who was wiping the soot out of her silver hair, "Who is that? I've never seen her at to think of it….why are you back in England?"

"First off, she doesn't go to Hogwarts yet. Secondly, our school was blown up by Death Eaters so we have to go to Hogwarts," Lillith sighed.

"I see. And what are two girls like yourselves doing in a place like this?" he motioned towards all of the occult things (i.e. severed heads, shrunken heads, nooses, vampire's blood, werewolf's hair, etc.).

"Eekie and I were going shopping for our school things actually,"

"….In Knockturn Alley?"

"Yes! I was just looking for stuff on…uh…" Lillith looked around the shop.

"She was looking for stuff on necromancy you twit. We were about ready to study it at our school in America," Eekie butted in pulling out the book on necromancy from her robes.

Draco looked at her in disgust, "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Eekie Riddle, at your service," she made a little ball of fire and bowed.

"…stupid Americans with your alchemy,"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Eekie grabbed him by the throat and held him up. Here eyes were shining bright red.

"Eekie put the idiot down. This is Britain; we can't go around choking people as we please like we can in America…" Lillith said as Eekie realized what she was doing and dropped him. She smiled.

"Nice to meet you Draco!" Eekie said as they ran out of the store.

Draco stood up and walked over to his father.

"What is it Draco?" Lucious asked.

"Did you hear that girl's last name?"

"Riddle? Yes, I heard….I heard…"

"Dammit Eekie! That was way too close!" Lillith said as they walked to Gringotts.

"I'm sorry. He just…triggered a killing instinct inside of me, that's all…."

"Eekie, you have to control that at Hogwarts. No one can cover for you there…especially since we are going to Hogwarts…"

"Why?"

"Shit how could I forget that you know nothing…." Lillith told the story of the Boy Who Lived to Eekie as they were going down into the vaults of Gringotts.

"Oh….wait a minute. I have to do one thing before we stop," Eekie put her hands up in the air, "WHEEEE!" She screamed as they dropped.

The cart lurched to a stop in front of the vault 665. Lillith hopped out and went into the vault. She filled her pockets with Galleons and Sickles before she came back out and sat in the cart.

"Eekie, do you know if you might have a vault here?"

"I'm not sure. There is a possibility…"

The goblin running the cart spoke up, "If you aren't sure if you have a key, do you know your vault number?"

Eekie shook her head no.

"What is your last name? I can probably find your family's vault from there,"

"Riddle,"

"Riddle eh? Haven't been down to that vault in almost fifteen years. Didn't know the man had any family. Well, hold on," the goblin started the cart again as they rolled further down.

After a few minutes the goblin rolled to a stop at vault number 732.

"No wonder you have no key. Needs a goblin's touch to open…" he muttered as they clambered out of the cart and over to the vault.

Eekie wondered why there was an account under the Riddle name at Gringotts. She'd lived in America she assumed all of her life and knew none of her family. Could it be possible that she had found some traces of what little she had left?

"Interesting…"

"What is it?" Eekie asked.

"Looks like it also needs someone from the Riddle family's bloodline to touch it as well to unlock it,"

Eekie walked over to the door. If she was indeed family, then she would get in. She may be able to find her family somewhere in the British Isles. She ran her long fingers down the center of the door.

CLINK!

The vault door veered open. Eekie's eyes grew to the size of saucers. There were Galleons stacked as far as the eye could see. Towards the front there were a few piles of Sickles and Knuts. Eekie put the Sickles and Knuts into her pouch and went back to the cart.

"Wow, I guess that means that your family must have lived here. Or still do live here," Lillith said as they left Gringotts and went to Diagon Alley.

"So, I suppose we should get our robes and anything else we feel that we need,"

"Yup!"

"But before we get everything, is there anywhere I can get something to drink?"

"The Leaky Cauldron should have something," Lillith led the way there.

The pub was almost empty except for three figures. One very blonde boy in-between two large, bulky boys. They all turned as the girls walked in. Eekie was staring at the floor thinking.

"Oh bloody hell, not you two again," Draco sighed.

"Shut it Malfoy…or…should I let her handle this again?" Lillith laughed as she pointed at Eekie.

The two figures, Crabbe and Goyle, looked at the small girl next to Lillith.

"Who's the girl, Snape?" Goyle asked.

"This is Eekie Riddle,"

"Riddle?" Crabbe tried to make sure he was hearing correctly.

"Why have people been so fascinated by my last name since we came here?" Eekie finally looked up.

The three boys jumped when they saw her red eyes.

Malfoy quickly changed the subject, "So, why was your school blown up again?"

"I told you already Malfoy. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers blew up the school. We are the only survivors, but barely,"

"Why do you say that?" Crabbe asked.

"Some Death Eaters caught us, we talked to the Dark Lord himself, and then Eekie here blew up her wand and-"

Goyle, who looked very confused, interrupted, "How did she do that?"

"I'm pyrokinetic and my wand had a phoenix feather in it,"

"Cool," Goyle said as he shoved a biscuit in his mouth.

"So your father is enrolling you at Hogwarts then?"

"Yes,"

"Malfoy chuckled, "Then hopefully the Chamber of Secrets shall be opened once again. C'mon Crabbe, Goyle, we're leaving. See you on the train Snape," The boys left the pub.

"What did he mean by that?" Eekie asked after they ordered their butterbeer.

"I'm not sure. I'll ask Severus when we get home," Lillith said.

They were quiet for a few minutes as they finished their drinks.

"So…does Hogwarts have a quidditch team?"

"Four of them. One for each house,"

"Ahh,"

"Come on, we need to get our robes," Lillith said as she dragged Eekie into the robe shop.

"Hello?" came a woman's voice, "I'll be right out…"

"So, what are the house names?" Eekie asked as they waited.

"Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin,"

"Which house does your dad look over?'

"Slytherin," Lillith said as the witch came out from the back.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Just some standard robe repair please,"

"Give me your robes and I'll be right back out," the witch took their robes and went into the back.

"Any good stories about the school?" Eekie asked as they waited.

"There's only one that I can vaguely remember, my dad's used to tell me it before I left for America," her face lit up, "That's where I've heard about the Chamber of Secrets before!"

"What is it?"

"One of the founders of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin, built himself a secret chamber that only his heir can open before he left the school. Inside was a creature that would kill all of the mixed and non-pure blood students,"

"Sounds like Hitler,"

"…Oh my god he does!" Lillith exclaimed as they were handed back their robes.

"Hey…I need a new wand…" Eekie said.

"Then lets go to Ollivanders," Lillith and Eekie walked down a few shops.

An old man was at the counter, "Good afternoon,"

"Hi. Um... I need a new wand; my old want was blown up,"

"How did you do blow it up?"

"Mr. Ollivander, please don't ask," Lillith asked.

"Okay, well, what did you have before?"

"Thirteen Inch, Willow, with the tail feather of a phoenix,"

The man pulled out a box from his shelves, "Try this, it's very close to your old one save for the fact that it's oak,"

Eekie took the wand. There was an instant reaction. Not negative though. It was a very good reaction.

"I'll take it," she said.

"Thirty-Seven Sickles,"

Eekie counted them out and gave them to the man. They left for Knockturn Alley now. The crowd there was much different. Eekie was more entertained there. She quickly found what looked like a store that sold snakes. They went inside.

"Where are your snakes?" Eekie asked.

The wizard behind the counter pointed to the back without looking up from his magazine. Eekie dragged Lillith back there. She pressed against the glass and stared to talk.

"Hello!" she said.

"Hello…?"

"You aren't used to talking to humans, are you?"

The snake shook its head.

"Well, would you like to accompany my friend Lillith here to a wonderful home?"

All Lillith could hear was hissing. When Eekie pulled back from the glass she was smiling.

"He wants to go home with you. Lillith, meet Sheek,"

Lillith stared at her, "You….can talk to snakes?"

"I've always been able to! Cool huh?"

"…Eekie, I think there is something you should know before we get to Hogwarts,"

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone you are a parselmouth, okay?"

"Why not? I'm proud of it. Besides, I'm sure loads of people can do it!"

"Just don't okay?"
"….Fine," Eekie sighed, "So, do you want to take Sheek home with you or not?"

"Yes, just this once, tell Sheek that I'd love to have him,"