Snape stared at his daughter lying on the bed in the infirmary; his public scowl firmly in place even though his heart was still racing from the earlier scare. When he had seen Maggie sprawled on the floor of the office, he had been terrified.

He had brushed aside Poppy Pomfrey's initial questions as to the girl's identity and had simply demanded that the mediwitch take stock of the girl's physical condition. He was now watching Pomfrey running her diagnostic spells.

The older witch turned to face him, "Well, Severus, I simply can't find anything wrong with her. She's a healthy, sixteen year old witch." Her head tilted slightly, "You say she simply collapsed?"

Severus rubbed at the top of his nose as he felt a headache beginning. "Yes, Poppy. I told you that already."

Pomfrey shrugged, "Then there is no reason for the three of you to be hovering around my infirmary." It seemed that she then remembered something, "Wait a moment. You still haven't told me who she is."

For a moment no one spoke, as if unsure of what to say. Severus raised his wand and cast a powerful silencing charm around the infirmary. "Poppy, I assume that whatever I tell you right now will not go beyond us?"

Pomfrey nodded solemnly, "Of course, Severus. I will treat it as a matter of patient confidentiality."

Taking a deep breath, Severus explained the situation, which, he realized only later, might have been more information than he wanted Potter to know. "So, you see, the fact that she is now a witch is slightly worrisome and will be impossible to explain."

"So, you intend to have her study here?" Poppy asked quietly, glancing between father and daughter and cataloguing the similarities. She knew that anyone who looked very closely at the girl would probably be able to make a good guess as to her father's identity.

"Can I, father?" Maggie asked hopefully.

"It would require you being tutored every minute of this summer and even then I doubt you could catch up to the students of your own age. Five years of material is a lot to try to cram into a couple months," Severus said, glancing away from his daughter. "Even if you could catch up," he continued, looking back at her, "You could not come here as my daughter. There are too many students whose parents are under the thumb of the Dark Lord. Any one of them would be thrilled to report that I have a child who hasn't been inducted into their little 'club'."

"She could come here under a glamour or a potion," Potter interjected. "No one would recognize her and you could say she is a transfer student."

"That still doesn't negate the fact that she has five years of material that she is behind in. She also hasn't taken her OWLS," Severus coldly stated.

Maggie glared at him and Snape had to admit the similarity between their features was even more obvious at that moment. "Can I be permitted to try?" she asked bitterly. "I have already read a great deal on the theory of magic; it's mainly the practical aspect which I would have to learn." She hopped off the bed and began to pace back and forth. She stopped, facing him, glaring again as she did so, "If I don't learn, I will be defenseless. If I have to come here under the guise of a first year, I'll do it!"

Sighing, Snape glanced at Pomfrey, "What is your opinion on this matter?"

Pomfrey glanced between him and his daughter, "Well, Maggie, your father's right in that it's a lot of material to have to cover in so short a time. But, Severus," she said quickly, turning to face him, "I think that she should be permitted to try if she so desires. After all, if you put it off now, it will only become harder for her to catch up to her peers."

"The final decision will rest with the girl's mother," he finally said. "If she will allow it, we will try to catch you up so that you may begin at the 6th year level, Maggie."

"Thank you!" the girl said, suddenly hugging him. "Thank you!"

Glaring at Potter over his daughter's shoulder, he awkwardly returned the hug. Carefully disengaging himself from the excited girl, he stepped backwards. "Don't thank me quite yet. You are in for a very difficult summer." He turned to face the young wizard, "Mr. Potter, I believe it's time for you to return to your room. You are not to breathe a word of this to anyone, not even those… friends of yours, do you understand me?"

For once it appeared that Potter had grasped the seriousness of the situation. "Of course, sir. I wouldn't do anything to endanger Maggie, you have my word on that."

"You still have detention with me tomorrow night," Snape reminded him. "I expect you to be prepared to study for your OWLS." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck before continuing, "I am hoping to find time tomorrow to take Maggie to Ollivander's. Perhaps after you have finished your studying, you could teach her a couple basic spells. I believe it would be a good review for you."

Potter and Maggie both gave him disgustingly huge smiles and from the corner of his eye he could see Poppy staring at him with her mouth hanging open. Yes, he was definitely growing soft.

-- --

Katrina rose the next morning and took a quick shower, knowing either Pettigrew or Voldemort would soon arrive with her breakfast. She dressed from the clothes in the wardrobe, having realized that every article had been spelled to fit her perfectly.

Rubbing her hair dry, she sat on the edge of her bed. She had only been in this gilded cage for three days now, but it was beginning to feel like years. She dropped the towel to her lap, one hand rising to feel the cold metal of the collar around her neck. She shivered and pulled her hand away.

Rising from the bed, she returned to the bathroom where she hung up her towel. Entering the bedroom again, she was surprised that her breakfast hadn't been delivered yet. Shrugging it off, she moved and sat before the window, gazing outside.