McGonagall was furious. She burst into her office screaming at one of the portraits.
"TELL ME IT WASN'T YOU!"
"What on earth are you screeching about?" Replied Severus Snape.
"TELL ME YOU DIDN'T TRICK SOME SCARED FIRST YEAR TO LEAVE THAT BOOK FOR HER IN HER DORMITORY!"
"What has happened?" Severus replied calmly.
"Surely you heard the conversation I had last night with Miss Alton?" McGonagall asked exasperated.
"No. I was busy attending to other business. I don't just sit around listening in on your personal conversations you know."
McGonagall rolled her eyes. He was still so infuriating.
"Yes. The book finding it's way into students hands was my doing. It was not of course Riley's hands I placed it into."
McGonagall looked shocked at his honesty.
"Now, please Minerva. Tell me what has happened."
"The Imperious curse!? But that's illegal!" Teddy was yelling wildly.
"Yes Mr Lupin, it is. Which is why I need you to screw your head back on and help figure out any younger Gryffindor students who may have it out for Miss Killick. If they are willing to go to such extreme lengths who knows what they will do next." McGonagall concluded.
"Yes headmistress." Teddy said while looking over at his very sullen looking best friend.
"It will take time but eventually she will start to feel like her old self again" McGonagall told Teddy.
"I know, it must be horrible. Surely there's something we can do?"
"I'm trying Teddy, don't you worry." And with that McGonagall walked away.
A few weeks later.
"So, just so I am certain here. You think, that whichever Gryffindor's are behind the attack are also behind Riley getting her hands on my old potions book? In the hopes that she would learn Sectumsempra and they could use it against Miss Killick? Then once they finished the attack they erased all thoughts and actions Riley had of them?" Severus pieced together.
"Yes, Riley is quite beaten up over the whole ordeal. She blames herself." McGonagall admitted.
"Humph, maybe we should be teaching them how to block such an attack?" Questioned Snape.
Severus had fallen right into Minerva's trap.
"Yes I was also thinking this. I believe it would help Riley over come here grief if she had the skill set to fight off this attack from ever happening again. I was hoping-"
"No. I will not waste my talents on such a delinquent." Snape spat back aware of the trap she was trying to set.
"Oh but I haven't told you the most intriguing part of the night." McGonagall smiled.
"Go on." Severus encouraged.
"When Riley came too and saw Miss Killick lying there she started screaming for help. So much so that Teddy Lupin, Max Fawley and Professor Slughorn heard her, inside there heads." McGonagall stood hands on her hips smirking at Severus.
"She's shown signs of legilemency?" Severus asked surprised.
"Yes Severus, this is what I was say-"
"Enough!" Severus bellowed. "She very well might be more like her mother than you know."
"Don't be daft Severus! She shows no signs of the cruel nature of Bellatrix Lestrange." McGonagall spat.
"She is a Gryffindor through and through." McGonagall said proudly.
"That old hat has lost its touch if you ask me. There is no way a girl of her bloodline and history would have ever gotten into Gryffindor." Said Severus.
"You're wrong."
Both McGonagall and Snapes heads whipped around to the eavesdropper.
Riley Alton stood proudly in her Gryffindor robes. "You don't know me. You know of my mother. I know she was cruel but she never got the chance to relinquish that cruelty onto me. I grew up with my grandmother. And she was kind and she loved me and taught me of the good and the bad. She told me stories of my father. That he was cold and cruel most of his life but when the moment came and everything was on the line, he was brave. Braver than most Gryffindors and if it wasn't for my father I would have died. My mother would have me fed to the dogs. The hat doesn't lie, it hasn't lost its touch, maybe you've lost your touch for questioning such powerful magic." Riley's chest was heaving. She had no idea where her outburst had come from. She felt the need to prove herself for some reason. How dare he question her sorting.
"Idiot child. You have no idea who you father was. He was a coward!" Bellowed Snape.
"Severus." McGonagall said warningly.
"You know who my father is?" Riley asked dumbfounded.
All of the fire she previously felt burnt out.
"Who?" Riley sounded like a small innocent child with pleading eyes asking this man the one thing she's always wanted to know.
"It matters not. He is long gone. You, are better off without him." And with that Severus Snape started snoring in his portrait.
Tears streaming down her face Riley rounded on Minerva Mcgonagall. The woman she trusted most in this world had betrayed her. Not once but twice.
"You knew. Not only about last night and what I had done but you knew. You know. You know who he is. Tell me!"
Riley had snapped. Her wand in her hand was shaking and pointing at the woman who had taken her in, nurtured her. Helped her. But now betrayed her.
Minerva stayed still. She never reached for her wand. The young girl was broken and it was partly her fault.
"TELL ME!" Riley Shrieked
Riley felt her wand arm pulsing, wanting to let loose.
"I can't. It is not my place to tell. You of all people know how important secrets are and the damage they can do. He was a good man Riley, Severus is a blithering idiot. Do not listen to him." Minerva pleaded.
Riley dropped to the floor, wand clattering, she curled up crying.
Minerva wasn't sure wether she should comfort the girl or leave her alone when "I'm sorry." Blurted from Riley's mouth. She took the crying girl in her arms and held her while she cried.