A/N: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing... (Author unknown)
Chapter Two: Hidden Knowledge
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood shocked. Serenity Snape? Severus Snape's sister? Impossible!
"Why would your own brother... try to kill you?" Hermione asked finally.
"I knew things he didn't want me to know. Simple as that, subject closed," Serenity turned her back on them.
"About Voldemort?" Harry asked.
"If you honestly expect me to answer that question, you're asking me to reopen a wound that nearly killed me," Serenity said, still not looking at them.
Harry began to think... and think hard. What if... what if they could get the information from her? Was it possible? "Serenity... if I could get you out of here... would you answer my questions? No matter what they are?" Harry didn't like Serenity... he didn't like the idea that she had been that close to Sirius... didn't like that she was Severous' sister. Harry, just plainly didn't like Serenity. End of story.
"And once I was 'missing' how would you keep it that way? Hm? Eventually, the Ministry would find me, and then, they'd have me... either kissed or killed. Chances are, they wouldn't trust me to die, they would hand me over to the dementors..."
"One problem with that theory..." Ron whispered, "The ministry has evidence that the Dementors are no longer abiding by the treaty that was made. They've... kissed many of the prisoners, and we know they were all... rejects of Voldemort. People he wanted out of the way."
Serenity turned around again and looked at Ron, "You mean to tell me that... that Voldemort has returned? I thought he was permenately crippled!"
"No, he's back, and in full strength... with only four weaknesses, and I have to find them all." Harry said quietly. "Now, will you help us? Or are we walking out of here to leave you to death?"
Serenity was silent for a time. "And how would you get me out?"
"What are you capapble of at the moment?" Hermione asked.
Serenity smiled. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."
"Beg pardon?" Ron gazed at her questionably.
"Just watch..." Serenity closed her eyes and appeared to concentrate... then... "I can't do it! Gah!" she slammed her hand down on the bed.
"So, what were you supposed to become?" Harry asked.
Serenity pouted, "A cat..."
"Well, get up, lets get out of here..." Hermione walked over and severed the chains holding Serenity to the bed. Serenity stared at the chains, still connected to her wrists, then at the piece trailing off the bed.
"Thank you."
"No time for formalities, those chains were hexed. We're probably about to get attacked. Lets go!" Hermione ran out, dragging Serenity behind her, and the guys followed her. They got halfway down the stairs and ran into Professor McGonnagal.
"Children! The Death Eaters aren't as gone as we thought they were!"
"Professor, that was us! We set off some hexed chains!" Hermione gasped.
"Hi Professor!" Serenity smiled, "Long time no detention!"
"Serenity?"
"Come ON!" Harry pushed Serenity and Hermione down the stairs, and Ron cast a hex to block off the stairway for a few seconds, which was attacked by curses from the Hospital security.
"Our welcome's run out Professor, we need to leave!" Ron grabbed McGonnagal's arm and dragged her, stunned, down the stairs and out into the sunshine, where Harry was cussing and Hermione looked distressed. Serenity looked appoligetic. "Lemmie guess, she can't apparate either! Damnit!"
Harry let out one more cuss and pointed his wand into the air, "Acio Brooms!" then glared at Serenity, "You can fly, can't you?"
"Yup, yup!" Serenity smiled a little.
The brooms appeared and Serenity, Ron, and Harry took off.
"Hermione! Think up a diversion! Quick!" Ron shouted just before following a soaring Harry and shaky Serenity headed north.
"She truely did loose it then..." McGonnagal sighed.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, thinking of what she'd say to the oncoming security, "Wait, tell me later, hex me, quick!"
"What?"
"Forget it!" Hermione stunned McGonnagal and winced, thinking of the lecture later.
"What's going on! What happened!" the security wizard demanded of a completely distressed Hermione.
"I don't know! Those Death Eaters! They took off with someone! Harry and Ron went after them, but when the Professor and I tryed to follow, they hexed her! I don't know what it was with!" Hermione began to cry into her hands.
"Alright, get this woman up to the Hospital, tell us which way they went young woman..." the wizard was a little kinder, but still demanding. Hermione pointed South, "That way!"
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"Sorry about all of that Professor... I didn't know what else to do..." Hermione appologized as they were walking up the street to the Grimmuald Place.
"No matter, Dear, just these old dinasour bones are protesting." she chuckled a little.
"Professor, what were you talking about at the Hospital?"
"Remind me, I don't perfectly remember."
"You were talking about Serenity, and you said somthing like... 'So she really has lost it.' Or... somthing like that."
"Ah, yes, Serenity was a lot like you at one point. She was the brightest in her year... and she was showing a growing capasity for Quidditch as well, but I think what started her into that, was Sirius."
"She mentioned they were sweethearts."
"Yes, they were, and it was quite an uproar at the school." now the Professor outright laughed.
"How come?"
"Well, it was interesting to watch a Slytherin's sister with a Gryfyndor."
"What house was Serenity in?"
"She was in Gryfindor. Actually, she was the Gryfindor Beater, along with Mr. Black."
"Really?"
Professor McGonnagal nodded, "She was a tremendous flyer. Her and Mr. Black would easily have rivaled the Weasley twins."
"Professor, I was told that Lilly Potter was the best in her year, how could Serenity and Lily have been the best?"
"Serenity was a year younger than the others she hung out with. Young Pettigrew had quite an eye for her before Black even knew who she was. That much was obvious." McGonnagal laughed again.
"One more reason to turn Sirius in as the killer of the Potters."
"It might have added to that poison, but we don't know for sure." Professor McGonnagal sighed, "Well, here we are, might as well see the damage."
The two women walked in to a sheaking noise in their ear. "Mudbloods! Disgraces! You all curse the Black name!"
"Not again!" Hermione shouted over the racket coming from behind the sheet that had been keeping Mrs. Black silent as long as she had been.
"That... Snape of yours 'triped' and set her off!" Ron shouted, coming to meet them, "Come on, it's a little quieter upstairs!"
They retreated to the study, where Serenity was sitting on a chair, staring at the floor, and Harry was pacing the room.
"Now what's got Gloom and Doom mad?" Hermione asked, of Harry.
"She refuses to take Verisilitum... flat out refuses." Ron whispered back, talking about Serenity.
"Fine, what about a spell, if I found one of those that would work?" Harry asked, sounding as though his patience had already run thin.
Serenity was silent. "I want to know exactly what spell. Why not just use Occlumency on me? It would work just as well!"
"I'm not an Occlumens! Don't you get it!" Harry shouted.
"Yes you are! I've already... I know it."
"You've been in my head?" Harry ran his fingers through his already messy black hair.
"Jeeze... you are the product of James..."
"Ms. Snape?" Professor McGonnagal sat in front of her, "What if we had someone... you knew, give you the verisilitum?"
"Who?" Serenity glared up at the Professor, "And why would I trust them more than my own blood?"
"Because your own blood was tainted, this blood isn't." McGonnagal sighed, "Trust an old woman?"
"Let me see the one who will give it to me, and I'll tell you."
"Mrs. Weasley, why don't you go get our new potions master?" Professor McGonnagal suggested.
Hermione hesitated a moment, "Oh, me! Alright." and she left quickly, turning bright red.
"Who the hell?"
"His proper name is Professor Slughorn. He's our new potions master," Professor McGonnagal said proudly.
Professor Slughorn walked in and came to a complete halt. "S-s-serenity!" He came over to her and poked her face. "It is you! A bit disheveled, but it is you! You little sweetheart! It's been so long! When did you wake up my sweet?"
"Just yesterday," Serenity whispered. "You... were my teacher, correct?"
"Yes! You remember!"
"Why would she have problems remembering?" Harry spat.
"With that verisilitum that was given to her, it messed with her head... or so it was believed. Memories, education, anything could have been scrambled. It's very possible that she doesn't know anything and is mentaly unstable," Slughorn opened Serenity's eyes and stared up into the eyelid.
She snapped her head back away from him, "My mentality is perfectly normal, Professor, and I would request that you not touch me. My education is perfectly intact, and my memories... are mostly there." Serenity looked away from him, "... do I have to take the posion?"
Harry was as stone cold as ever, "Yes."
"Damnit." she glared at the floor, "Fine... I-I guess I could take it..."
Hermione grabbed hold of Harry's arm and dragged him into the hall, "Harry, how can you do this! She's absolutely petrified of potions at the moment, and you're making her take one, just because you're paranoid?"
"What's going on?" Ginny walked up and looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione, "Come on, I know somthing's up!"
"Yes, but, Ginny, this doesn't concern you, go back down to the kitchen and help your mother prepare dinner." Harry said quietly, not looking at her, the memory of the kiss he had gottent that morning apparently not forgotten.
"Harry, stop bossing me around, we have no connection, and there for, you have no control." Ginny said, affecting Harry as though she had stabbed a knife in his heart.
"Ginny, go down stairs."
"No."
Harry sighed and threw his hands in the air, "Fine! You know what! I don't care! You want to know what's going on? I'll tell you! There is a woman in that room, who just happens to have been sweethearts with my godfather! And she was suspected with having helped in my parents murder, and we've just recently saved her from a fate at Azkaban! She won't tell us what she knows about Voldemort, and she refuses to take verisilitum!"
"Because she was poisoned by that posion! How can you expect her to take a posion that nearly killed her after she's just awoken after 17 years of unconsiousness! You honestly think that she'll take it willingly!" Hermione shouted at Harry.
"Both of you stop shouting." Ginny hit both of them on the head with Witch Weekly, "Harry, it's obvious that she doesn't even know you, how could you expect her to trust you, and then, it's a two way street, you would also have to trust her. You're letting your emotions and stubbornness get in the way of your logic. Knock it off." Ginny hugged him, "Relax, will you?"
"No, I can't trust anyone Ginny, anyone could turn around and hurt me, even you. Voldemort could easily use you to get to me... which is why this," Harry pushed her away from him, "Can never happen."
"Fine, but at least think about what I said." Ginny glared at him, and walked into the study.
"Ginny wait!" Harry didn't want her in there with that woman, without him standing next to her.
Serenity was sitting, chatting with Professors McGonnagal and Slughorn, aparently reviewing old classes and such.
"I was always a little frightened of you and Miss Lily, you two were constantly concocting and brewing... it was only a matter of time before you two took over my class!"
Serenity laughed a full laugh and Harry could momentarily see how she and Sirius would have liked each other. He sighed.
"I'll give you one month... One month to get your wits together, and for Professor Slughorn to make sure he has the brew ready." Harry forced himself to keep a straight face. He was angry at the moment. Angry that, Ginny could controll him, with just one little look into her eyes.
This would not end well between them. Harry could almost feel Voldemort's gears turning and plotting.