Hey everyone! So here's the deal. From this point onwards, the plot line gets a little... well, let's just say frazzled. If it seems too implausible, that's probably because it is. If you've got an issue, send me a message with a better idea and I'll bow to your every whim. But beware of the monster known as subjectivity. It's a bitch all right.

Disclaimer: ... HP not mine. The end.

***

Recap of Chapter 6

I nodded, breathing through my nose as the nausea lessened. I looked around and gasped. My eyes widened as I took on the sights and sounds of the small tavern, but before I could even say hello to Tom, the barkeep, Snape was walking swiftly into the back alley and tapping on the bricks. As the wall folded itself to make an entryway, I caught my first glimpse of Diagon alley.

"It's not much," Snape said.

"It's perfect," I breathed.

***

Chapter 7

Three hours later, Snape and I came out of the apothecary. He was in an infinitely better mood, going so far as to buy me ice cream with strawberries, chocolate, and peanut butter in it. Witches and wizards bustled through the narrow alleyway and the sun shone down on the small shops that were crammed into various nooks and crannies. I grinned and insisted on going into the pet store, buying a small kitten that slightly resembled a lion cub.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," he muttered, glaring slightly at the cat in my arms.

"I love cats! How can you not like cats? Zonko's!" I shouted, heading straight for the joke shop. A firm hand grabbed my arm and I turned to see a very disgruntled Snape.

"No."

"Come on!" I pleaded.

"You don't really expect me to look the other way, do you?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I mean, you could just turn around for a moment, and—"

"Absolutely, irrefutably no."

I pouted and held my new wand, contemplating a spell before concluding that I'd probably just blow something else up. With a wave of guilt, I thought of poor Ollivander and his disaster of a shop. The first years hadn't even come and I'd already blown everything to smithereens.

Snape and I walked in silence for a while before he said, "I hope you do not believe that my lack of fury means I'm no longer angry with you."

I raised my eyebrows. "What?"

"Your behavior earlier was ridiculous. You are not a child, as you so tactfully pointed out earlier, so I do not expect you to behave like one."

"I get it," I said, desperate to get off the subject as we walked.

"I'm not so sure that you do," he said doubtfully.

"Then you're not giving me enough credit," I said, shrugging. "What else is on the list?"

"Text books."

"Flourish and Blotts?"

He nodded.

I smiled and ran the last few steps, quickly getting lost in the aisles. There were hundreds of thousands of millions of books, on everything from charms to grow hair to defensive spells to broomstick manuals.

"You've got twenty minutes," Snape said, his eyes lingering on the potions section as I trailed my fingers along countless spines. As his lips upturned slightly, I realized that we were probably both bibliophiles. Maybe we weren't as different as I thought…

Snape left me alone and I quickly got lost, flipping through pages and pages of biography, history, charms, and spells. It was everything I'd always dreamed of, and ten minutes later I was completely enveloped in a history book.

"I've always found history rather boring myself."

I glanced up and gasped, slamming the book shut as Lucius Malfoy watched me with slight amusement. From the moment I looked into his cold grey eyes I knew he'd been there that night.

And yet here he stood.

I scrambled to stand up, backing away slightly out of pure instinct.

He noticed.

"Lucius Malfoy. And I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"And yet you seem somewhat familiar," I said, my eyes flickering towards his lower arm where I knew the dark mark sat in black ink.

It was just a game. Play along.

He tilted his head slightly as his smile grew. "I think I would have remembered a face like yours," he said, taking a step forward. "From what I understand, you're Severus' niece?" He chuckled slightly. "Funny, you don't look a thing like him."

"Really?" I said, finally taking a step back as he approached me once more. "I think I take after him in some respects. Like being able to sniff out bullshit."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "America has tainted your manners," he said icily. I wondered how angry he'd have to be to stop smiling as he continued. "I would hate for your uncle to overhear such rudeness. Where is he, by the way?"

With a pang of fear I realized that I had no idea where Severus was. "He'll be back in a moment," I said, remembering the lie they told us to tell in elementary school; Never let the bad guys know that your parents aren't around.

"Ah, what was that oh-so eloquent word you used earlier? Oh yes. Bullshit."

I backed up again with my hand firmly on my wand, hoping desperately that I could learn how to use it very quickly. Lucius took two swift steps until he was standing a mere few inches from me.

"I've got another vocabulary word for you," I said, stifling the scream that was crawling up my throat. "Asshole."

His eyes narrowed as I finally wiped the smile from his face, and a gloved hand reached up. For a moment I thought he was going to slap me, until he delicately pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. As he did that, Lucius leaned his head in, whispering in my ear.

"The Dark Lord will not let you go so easily." His hot breath burned my neck as I tried to move. A gloved hand grabbed my shoulder painfully and I yelped despite my best efforts. "You may be under the Order's protection now, but rest assured, the day will come when you will once again be at the Dark Lord's mercy. And when that day comes, you will pay for your attitude. I suggest you learn some manners before then."

He backed off suddenly as footsteps approached and Snape found us. His eyes went from me, shaking, red, and clearly upset, to Lucius, who, once again smiling, was smoothing his robes and clutching his cane.

"Lucius," he said, nodding as I tried to compose myself.

But I shook as Lucius nodded at Snape. "It's good to see you again, Severus. I was just making an acquaintance with your niece. She's everything you've told me about. And more."

"You have no idea," I said, narrowing my eyes.

Lucius raised an eyebrow but Snape spoke first.

"Yes, well, unfortunately we must be going now. Pleasure seeing you Lucius." Before I could blink, Snape had grabbed my arm and yanked me to the counter where he paid for our books without speaking. Once we were out of the store it seemed as though he let out a breath he'd been holding.

"You shouldn't be talking to him," he hissed as we retreated toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah, because I approached him and had him up against a wall," I muttered sarcastically.

"He did what?" Snape said furiously. But before I could answer he'd already shaken his head and continued walking. "Never mind that."

"Look, I'm fine, ok?"

Snape stopped, facing me just outside the brick wall. "Listen to me. Lucius Malfoy is much more dangerous than you think he is. And what's worse, he's eternally loyal to the Dark Lord. Do not underestimate him, do not talk to him. Avoid him at all costs. Understand?"

I hesitated for a moment, unnerved by Snape's seriousness. "I understand. I'm sorry."

He nodded. "By the way," he muttered, "I was instructed to obliviate your memory of that first night."

I frowned. "The entire night? That's thick."

"No, not the entire night, just the part where you knew that I was a death eater. So do try and play dumb."

"I'll make a mental note of that," I said, glancing back to the bookstore as a shiver went down my spine.

"So, about earlier," I said, gripping the shopping bags alongside Snape.

"It's alright," he said, glancing at me once. "You don't have to apologize again."

"I wasn't going to."

He clicked his tongue and I smiled slightly.

"I just wanted to know why I was able to do the whole wandless magic thing. From what I understand, it's not normal."

Snape shrugged, something I never thought I'd see him do, and we entered the leaky cauldron. Sitting down at a small table, Snape finally answered me. "Younger witches and wizards have instances in which their magic flares unexpectedly, during unusually heightened emotion or danger. That is why school starts at eleven."

I smirked. "Because a hormonal witch or wizard on the loose without adult supervision would be a disaster."

"Precisely," Snape said, rolling his eyes. "Now, your powers were bound for that period of your life, so there was no trouble. But the magic has been, stifled, so to speak, for so long that wandless magic is almost a second instinct for you."

"But not forever, right?" I asked, worried that I'd blow something up every time I got angry with someone.

"Not for more than a year or so," he said, waving discretely at the barkeep. "But know this; purely because of your lineage you are more powerful than many other wizards out there. You must learn control, and you must learn it quickly."

Tom came over with a glass of mead for Snape. I noticed Tom's glare in Snape's direction and realized how rude he was to just about everyone. Though I knew he had reason to be so callous, I couldn't help but wonder what my uncle's life would have been like if he could have mustered up a smile or two once in a while.

"And what will you be wanting, miss?"

Tom's voice jarred me from my thoughts and I blinked a few times, smiling apologetically and spewing out the first drink I could think of. "Pumpkin juice, please."

"We'd also like some stew, Tom."

"Of course, Professor."

"Thank you."

And Tom retreated from the table, leaving us in silence. I was brimming with questions, but part of me was already overwhelmed with the day's events. Being cooped up in Grimwauld place with only about ten people was one thing, but seeing the wizarding world in action was beyond comprehension. My heart beat twice as fast as normal as I sipped my pumpkin juice that had appeared a few seconds after Tom's departure.

"You'll get used to it," he said.

I glanced up as his words resounded in the relative quiet of the bar.

"What?"

Another rare smile melted the harsh frown lines that had developed over his lifetime. "I can see it in your eyes. It's the same look that the first years have when they first set foot in Hogwarts."

I smiled too, despite my irritation. I'd always been able to mask my nervousness, but as of late it seemed I was easier to read. Either that or I was just surrounded by people who could read others better…

"Do I get to go to Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Of course," Snape said as Tom levitated two large bowls of stew to our table.

"What year will I start in?" I asked.

"First, obviously. You'll also receive lessons from myself and your grandfather on a weekly basis. If you progress beyond first year level, you will move up a year, etc."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to be in a class full of eleven year olds, am I?" I asked, not daring to believe that he would be so cruel.

But as Snape raised his eyebrows, I knew I'd been too hopeful. "Of course you will."

Conversation lagged after that, as I came to terms with the fact that I'd sit in a classroom full of preteens. I didn't want to, not by any means, and I decided that as soon as I got back to Grimwauld place I would enlist Hermione for help. I still had a solid few weeks before school started…

Snape also seemed to be in his own world, dealing with worries that I knew were far more serious than my own. I thought about my mom before trashing the question; it was obvious he'd tell me when or if she was found. But the thought sent a whole set of cogs turning in my mind, and once again I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself.

Not that I didn't try. I bit my tongue for a whole minute, sipping pumpkin juice and observing the portraits around us before my thoughts became too much.

"I have another question," I said suddenly, as he stirred his stew absent-mindedly.

"And you'll ask it whether or not I feel like answering," he said, rolling his eyes. "Proceed."

"Dumbledore told me what happened with my parents," I said tentatively, watching my uncle's face carefully.

It went from slightly annoyed to a perfectly blank mask. I was impressed.

"Yes?" His voice was also blank, as though we were discussing the properties of a bezoar.

"Riddle had to break through your defenses in order to find them, right?"

"If you think that I gave up the location of my sister willingly, you had better—"

"No, no," I said, holding up a hand as his mask gave way to quiet fury. "I don't think that at all. I'm just wondering, why on earth did he let you live if he knew that you were hiding information from him? Wouldn't there be a lack of trust?"

Snape sighed, clasping his pale fingers together as he surveyed me. "The dark lord punished me... thoroughly, convinced that I only had the audacity to disobey him because of my sister. Since they, broke, her, he reasoned that I had no other ties to cause disloyalty. And, of course, he thought that I feared him."

Disconcerted by his choice of words, I hesitated before continuing. "Do you fear him?"

"I would be a fool to not fear him."

I watched him for a moment, biting the inside of my lip. "But it only made your alliance with the Order stronger, didn't it?"

"What?"

Lily came to the forefront of my mind before I bit back the name, swallowing it with a few other words that he wouldn't take very well. "If mom hadn't been, broken, your allegiance would have been torn, or at the very least unclear. Riddle solidified the very bonds that he was probably trying to sever."

With a frown, Snape stood and gestured for me to do the same. "Why does it seem as though you know more than you're letting on?"

Again, I thought of Lily. Then I thought of the pages that I'd read, the memories that revealed his past and his death, and a guilty blush spread through my cheeks.

"I told you, you don't give me enough credit," I said, staring at my feet.

"You're lying."

I glanced into his eyes, imagining a brick wall sealed with an iron lock, hoping that the amateur occlumency would be enough.

As his eyes narrowed and my head spun slightly, I knew it wasn't. The books came to the surface of my mind and I blushed as Snape's eyes widened. He stood, shaking the table and almost overturning my half eaten stew.

"Explain!" he hissed, eyes flashing wildly.

"I'm not sure that I can," I said. The weight of knowing so much about this world suddenly doubled as I tried to avoid the heavy load.

"Try," he said, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. "Try very, very hard."

I narrowed my eyes and tried to look tough, failing miserably. "I can show you," I said with sudden determination.

He nodded and I turned around, leaving the Leaky Cauldron and immersing myself in the busy streets of Downtown London. For a moment everything was a blur, before I headed to the first bookstore I saw.

I felt Snape cast a spell, looking down at the commercial bags that now wrapped the supplies I'd stocked up on. His attire had also changed; dark jeans and a black button down shirt replaced the billowing robes.

I ran to the kids' section, finding nothing. My brow furrowed in the white fluorescent lighting, and glanced at Snape. "It's not here," I said, disbelief lacing my voice.

"Are you telling me that you imagined what I saw?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"No," I retorted, my face scrunching slightly as frustration filled me. "It's here. Just, give me a minute."

Turning around swiftly, I rechecked the kids' section, then the young adult section, and finally, the adult section.

There was nothing. Not even a slight lightning bolt scar to be found.

"It must be on a special display," I reasoned, ignoring the cynical huff that followed my words. Giving my bags to Snape, I hurried desperately to the nearest sales clerk.

"Hi," I said, returning her broad smile. "I know this is going to sound bad, but I can't find any of the Harry Potter books. Could you point me in the right direction?"

I ignored Snape's snort at the mention of his least favorite student's name.

She furrowed her brow slightly and turned to a slim computer. "I'm sorry miss, I haven't heard of that series. Let me just check."

A laugh escaped my lips. "Funny, really, but I have to find the books."

The smile on her lipstick-covered lips faded slightly. "I'm quite serious. I'm sure they're great books, but I just haven't got much time to read lately."

"You're telling me you've never even heard of Harry Potter?"

"No miss, I haven't."

"You know, like, the wizards, with Hogwarts? They made a couple of ok movies, too."

Snape's face stretched into a grimace and he sighed loudly, probably nervous that I was exposing a few of the largest secrets of the wizarding world. But the woman simply shrugged.

"Now that area I've got down. Even the American ones. I haven't heard of any Harry Patten movies."

"Potter!" I corrected, panicking.

We left the bookstore and I crossed my arms as we walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"I wasn't making it up," I said to Snape's silence.

"I know you weren't. I read your mind, remember? However, I am just a tad bit concerned about your mental wellbeing."

"I am not crazy!" I said, turning around to face him as we approached the fireplace.

He sighed loudly, sitting down in a chair and gesturing for me to do the same. "Prove it."

I bit my lip. "How?"

"Just, tell me something that you learned in those books of yours that no one else would know."

My self doubt abated as the color drained from my face. I knew quite a few things that no one else would know.

"Are you sure you want me to bring that stuff up?"

Snape sobered immediately as the earnestness of my question sunk in. "You're really that sure of yourself?"

"Assuming that I haven't been hallucinating over the past couple of weeks, then yes."

He nodded. "All right. Tell me."

I took a deep breath. "I know that you called yourself the half-blood prince throughout your time at Hogwarts." By the time I finished my sentence, Snape's face had become, if it was possible, paler than I'd ever seen it.

"Who told you that?" he whispered, eyes narrowed.

I shrugged.

"You're telling me that a—a book told you that?"

I nodded.

He stood. "And now you can't find the book?"

"I guess." I swallowed as he nodded.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and we were back on the front porch of Grimwauld place.

Snape still looked shaken as he turned to me. "We're going to see Dumbledore. Now."

"Why?"

"Because if I am correct, you are a seer."

***

Comments? Questions? Typos?

I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this Chapter! If you did, would you be so kind as to leave a comment? I'm sort of in dire need of an ego boost lately...

This is where the story really gets interesting, so I hope you're all interested! Haha...

Reviews please