12. Snape's Secret

Indeed, it wasn't very pleasant. Zacharias was hysterical when he was informed that the cup was gone. He was accusing practically everyone that crossed his path, of stealing it. "You're not only stealing the cup, you're stealing my glory. The little bit I had," he would say dramatically.

"What a prat," Ron muttered to Harry, as they walked by to get to classes. Offense Against the Dark Arts was going well, for the most part. Ron seemed to always inadvertently jumble instructions for complicated curses, and they would end up with strange effects.

"Oh, time for Occlumency. Wilhelm said we would be starting something more difficult," Harry said. He walked off towards Wilhelm's classroom.

"Hello Potter," she said quietly. "I am not sure if you have ever done anything like this before, so be prepared. You should do fine, because I have taught you much. Stand in the middle of the room. When I do the spell, try and block me."

Harry did as he was told, and stood in the middle of the room. He had a strange feeling, like this would be the exact same thing he had always done with Snape. He was still thinking about that, when Wilhelm did the spell.

"Legilimens!" she said. Memories began to swirl before Harry's eyes.

His first Quidditch match; inside the Chamber of Secrets; riding Buckbeak; staring into the blank, dead eyes of Cedric Diggory; Snape yelling at him to not call him a coward. Harry started to concentrate on bringing the outline of Wilhelm into focus. Before he knew what exactly he was doing , he found himself saying the words,

"Legilimens!" It seemed apparent that Wilhelm was caught off guard. Instead of Harry's memories before his eyes, it was now hers. It was in a dark place. Someone was talking to Wilhelm.

"He suspects something. You have to go into deeper hiding. I've given him a bit of valuable information that should distract him for the time being. You must take her and go. Go to Germany. Use your maiden name. I couldn't go on without you. If you don't go, he will find you. He wants me to suff-"

Harry felt a painful stinging in his wrist, and was knocked off his feet.

"Did you intend to break into my mind Potter?" Wilhelm asked tensely. Harry just now realized how scary looking she was.

"I – no – of course not," Harry stuttered, rubbing his wrist. She had just hit him with a stinging spell.

"What did you see?" Wilhelm asked sharply.

"I – nothing – you were just talking to someone about hiding," he replied quickly.

"I don't know what it was all about. Somehow I got the impression she was hiding from Voldemort. I don't know why she got so upset; I don't blame her for wanting to hide from him," Harry explained to Ron and Hermione.

"Hmm. You don't suppose, she was a Death Eater, do you? Like, one that realized what they were doing was wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Seems the type," Ron put in. Harry was dreading his next Occlumency lesson, because he didn't know how Wilhelm would take all this.

The time finally came, and Harry took his time walking back to her classroom.

"Have a seat," she said, upon his arrival. "You have greatly progressed as an Occlumens Potter."

"Well, I owe it all to you. I mean, you're the one that taught it all to me. Snape would just break into my memory every time; he didn't even try to teach me anything!"

"I'm sure Severus tried his best. Now, I think I am about through with you. There is not much more I have to teach you. A few more lessons, and you will be finished. You have done very well. You should be proud of yourself. Not many could have done it as quickly as you have."

Harry couldn't think of anything to say. Wait a minute, did she mean to call Snape 'Severus?'

Harry went back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione and Ron were going over homework together.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Dobby came back. He said that everything went fine. The locket and the cup are gone. It's a shame there wasn't some way to keep them. After all, they were pretty valuable. But, Dobby said he was fine, and nothing went wrong. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Wow, you talk fast, even for a girl. I don't know how your mind comprehends what you're saying, while you're saying it," Harry said, rather slowly.

"Hey Harry, have you finished your potions homework? What did you got for the third ingredient for the chapter quiz?" Ron asked. Harry didn't answer. His eyes were out of focus. His mind was working hard.

"Harry, are you alright there?" Hermione asked.

"The map..." Harry murmured, "The Marauder's map."

"What'd you say Harry?" Ron asked, very puzzled. Yet again, Harry didn't answer. Instead, he raced up to the dormitories. About thirty seconds later, he had already returned. He spread the Marauder's map across the table that Ron and Hermione had been doing their homework.

"Where is it..." Harry muttered. "Where is she..." His eyes scanned the map for a few seconds, until they fell upon what he had been looking for. He was as still as a statue.

"What is it?" Ron asked, leaning in, to read over Harry's shoulder.

"There she is," Harry said quietly. "She lied."

"What on earth are you talking about Harry?" Hermione asked.

"See here, in her office? Her name isn't Wilhelm. It says Ciara Snape."

"Snape?" Ron and Hermione said in unison.

"That's right. I wonder how she's related to him?" Harry asked. "Why didn't she want people to know? That old fraud. I can't believe her. I'm going down there right now. We'll see what she has to say for herself. It makes perfect sense though. I mean, look at Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy for example. They have the same expressions, and mannerisms. "Wilhelm" must have been with Snape for a long time to have so much in common with him."

Harry quickly left the room and stormed down to her office. He pounded on the door, ready for an argument. The door magically creaked open. Wilhelm was sitting there, behind her desk.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry roared. "Why didn't you tell me you're related to a filthy coward?" Wilhelm gave him a penetrating, icy stare.

"What, might I ask, do you mean by that Potter?" she said in a forcibly calm way, not moving a muscle besides her mouth. Harry couldn't help but feel intimidated by her unwavering, sharp eye contact. But that did not subdue his anger.

"Why didn't you tell me you're related to Snape?" he demanded.

"I would have thought that would be obvious, even for someone such as yourself. Someone like you may start to get suspicious if they knew that was my name. There would be questions as to the whereabouts of my husband, Severus."

Harry's mind had been working unceasingly, but it suddenly froze in mid thought. Husband?

"But – how could you marry someone as thoughtless-"

"Don't you dare say that about him," she hissed. "I admit, he made a mistake in judging you, because of your father. But will you make the very same mistake, by judging me, because of my husband?" Harry was looking for some sort of loop hole in what she just said.

"But, you chose your husband. I didn't choose who my father was," Harry said, rather defensively.

"Are you saying, that you are ashamed of your heritage?" Wilhelm asked silkily.

"Not at-"

What happened next, happened very fast. Harry was struck with an excruciating headache. It was like someone was pounding his head with a jagged hammer. He fell over onto the floor, and he wasn't quite sure if he was screaming or not. His eyelids went black, and foggy, and he was unconscious.

"Harry! Wake up!" said a worried voice. Harry's eyes were blurry. At first he thought it was his mother standing over him, and he had simply awoken from a nightmare. When his vision was clear, he was shocked to see that it was not his mother, but Wilhelm.

"Are you alright? What happened?" she asked quickly. Harry moaned in agony.

"My head..." he said feebly, trying to sit up. Wilhelm eyed him suspiciously.

"You fell on the floor, screaming..." She continued, but Harry wasn't listening. He had just noticed something peculiar. He had never been this close to Wilhelm. She was the kind of person, that it would be impossible to guess her age, just impossible.

But up close, she looked to be in her late thirties. That is not what drew Harry's attention. He was looking at her mouth. As improbable as it may seem, as true as it was, Wilhelm had fangs.