In the middle of the night, Elizabeth woke in the dark with a sharp yelp of pain. Her arm felt like the bones were back, but in large splinters of bone all over. For a moment, she thought that was what woke her, but then she realized there was something sitting on her stomach.

"Get off!" she shrieked. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, then, "Dobby!"

"Elizabeth Evans came back to school," the elf whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Elizabeth Evans. Why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Elizabeth Evans go back home when she missed the train?"

"Dad!" Elizabeth shouted.

Dobby's eyes bulged even more. "No, please! Elizabeth Evans must go home! Professor Snape didn't listen—

"Elizabeth?" Severus, black t-shirt and cotton pants rumpled with sleep, rushed through the door, sizing up the situation immediately.

"INCAREROUS!" Severus shot thin ropes out of his wand that bound the house elf into a heap on the bed.

"How did you know I missed the train?" Elizabeth demanded. Dobby looked at Snape, who was standing in the doorway. "It was you!" Elizabeth realized out loud. "You stopped he barrier from letting us through!"

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Dobby hid and watched for Elizabeth Evans and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterward, but Dobby didn't care, for he thought Elizabeth Evans was safe, and never did Dobby think Elizabeth Evans would get to school another way! And that Professor Snape would have let her stay!"

Severus crossed the floor and snatched the elf off the bed by the ropes.

"You nearly got me expelled," Elizabeth spat, pushing herself up as far as she could. "You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."

"Lie down, Elizabeth," Severus ordered. "What are you doing here, elf?"

"Elizabeth Evans must go home! Professor Snape must take her home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make—

"Your Bludger?" Severus shook the elf. "What do you mean, your Bludger?"

"You made that Bludger to try and kill me?" Elizabeth yelled.

"Not kill you! Never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save Elizabeth Evan's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here! Dobby only wanted Elizabeth Evans hurt enough to be sent home!"

"You did this?" Severus growled. "She doesn't have bones in her arm, you wretched creature!"

"It didn't occur to you that my Dad lives here?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You think he's going to send me back to Spinner's End alone?" She shook her head. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"

"Ah, if Elizabeth Evans only knew! If she knew what she means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers! We house-elves were treated like vermin! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that," he admitted. "But mostly, life has improved for our kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Elizabeth Evans survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn—

"What is the point, elf?" Severus snarled.

"Dobby cannot let Elizabeth Evans stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more—" The elf's face paled. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Lie down, Elizabeth," Severus ordered again, and carried the elf out into the living room, closing the door behind him.

Elizabeth was up in a flash, her ear pressed against the door.

"Stay away from my daughter, elf. And your tell your master to stay away as well."

"But she is in great danger! She must go home!"

"It's him, isn't it? Your master?"

"Dobby can't, sir! Dobby mustn't tell! She must go home!"

"She's not going anywhere. However she has friends that will be first in line for Lucius' sadistic little games."

"Dobby must go!"

"Go. And tell Lucius Malfoy to reconsider just how much of an enemy he wants me to be."

There was a loud crack, and the door opened again, catching Elizabeth off guard. She tried to catch herself as she fell back, but her boneless arm was useless, and she ended up on her back on the floor.

"Didn't I tell you to lay down?" Severus helped her to her feet. "You should keep that arm as still as possible."

"Shouldn't we tell—

"We will not be doing anything. You are a child." He turned her toward the bed.

"Dad—

"Bed, Elizabeth. Now." Severus' voice was calm, but laced with steel. "It's the middle of the night." He ushered her back under the blankets.

"My arm hurts," she said plaintively.

"Pain potion interacts with the Skel-Gro. I can—

Severus was interrupted by a loud knock on the portrait.

"Stay here," he said, getting up to answer it. At the door of her room he turned back. "I mean it, Elizabeth Rose. Stay."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth stared at the ceiling. She barely heard Albus' soft voice, followed by Minerva saying something, sounding worried. Severus reappeared at her side.

"I have to go out for a few minutes," he said quietly. "Stay here," he bent closer to her. "Please, hatchling. Don't leave this bed."

Was her father pleading? Severus Snape didn't plead. He didn't even ask most of the time. He ordered. He passed judgment. He gave expectations and consequences. He didn't plead.

But he was now. Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, Dad. I promise."

"Alright," Severus brushed his hand over her head and swept out of the room.

*S*S*

"Another attack," Albus said as they rushed down the corridor. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There was a bunch of grapes and a card next to him," Minerva said. "We think he was trying to sneak down here to visit Elizabeth. Your daughter seems to have an admirer."

Severus' stomach lurched. "Weasley? He—

"Weasley? No, Colin Creevey," Minerva said. "I thought she and Ronald were just friends—

"Not Ronald," Severus said as they reached the hospital wing, "Fred. Heaven help me."

"I can see them together," Minerva said, ushering them to a bed in the corner.

"Who are you, Sybill?" Severus snapped.

"I'm sorry, darling," Minerva soothed. "I'm just kidding. No boy will ever look at her and she will be single and alone her entire life."

"That doesn't sound wonderful either," Severus muttered, looking down at the boy on the bed. "Petrified?"

"Yes," Minerva pulled the camera out of Colin's grasp. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?"

She opened the back of the camera, and a jet of steam hissed out. The air was filled with the smell of burned plastic.

"Melted," Severus said quietly.

"What does this mean, Albus?" Minerva looked at the Headmaster.

"It means," Dumbledore said evenly, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

"But, Albus…surely…who?"

"The question is not who," Severus said firmly. "We know very well who is behind this."

"The question is how," Albus said, looking at Colin's frozen body.

"Elizabeth had another visit from the Malfoy's house elf tonight," Severus looked at Albus.

Minerva looked at her son. "What do you mean, another visit?"

Severus shook his head. "Before we came to school this year, the creature came to visit to tell her to stay at home. Apparently it was the elf that closed the barrier at Kings' Cross, and the elf that cursed the Bludger today."

"Why?" Minerva's brow furrowed.

"It wants her to go home," Severus pressed his lips together. "The little annoyance knows exactly what Malfoy senior is doing."

"That's sweet… in a twisted way," Minerva looked at Albus. "Is it safe for her to be here? For any of them to be here?"

"Elizabeth isn't Muggle born," Albus said waving them out of the hospital wing and down to his office. "And the point of the Chamber and its creature is to purge Muggle-borns from the school."

Lily, Severus thought. "But if Malfoy is controlling this thing, wouldn't he send it after her? She's defeated his Lord twice."

"I'm not convinced it's only Lucius," Albus said, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

"Well of course it's not only him," Severus rolled his eyes. "He's got all those brainwashed nutjobs behind him."

"We have to face that while Lucius is certainly arrogant and without a moral compass, he is most likely not the heir of Slytherin. He may very well only be the "how" of our earlier question."

"Albus, you don't mean—

"Voldemort."

Severus and Minerva flinched.

"Fear of a name—

"Yes, yes, we've heard it," Severus snapped. "But names have power."

"Your daughter says it." Albus popped another lemon drop.

"She also has a life ambition to be able to stand on her broom with one foot," Severus said, shaking his head. "I'm not sure how much of a role model you wish to make her. But back to the original point." Snape cleared his throat. "Is he possessing someone? Lucius is just the idiot who would give his body to a crazed murderer."

"I don't know. If only I still had a spy on the inside," Dumbledore looked pointedly at Snape.

"You cannot possibly feel that I should have kept that up after Elizabeth…" he shook his head. "Lucius is the one who told me she existed anyway, it's not as if I could hide it."

"He wanted to distract you," Albus said thoughtfully. "He could have kept it in his pocket, to discredit you when Voldemort returned, but he didn't. He's threatened by you."

Severus frowned. "I need to get back. I have an incredibly curious child with no self-preservation instinct. I can only hope that she'll stay put for so long." He turned on his heel and left. Threatened by me, he thought.

Elizabeth was in her bed when he returned, but still wide-awake.

"I see half my instructions were followed," Severus sat on the bed. "How does your arm feel?"

"Hurts," she said simply. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

Elizabeth just looked at him.

Severus smirked. "An excellent 'teacher look' you have there, my girl." He sighed. "It's late. We'll talk in the morning, but for right now, I've returned, you're safe, and you need to sleep."

"I'm never going to sleep," Elizabeth protested.

"Turn over," Severus ordered, helping her with her semi-rubber arm.

"Why do you do this?" Elizabeth asked sleepily.

"As opposed to knocking you out with a sledge hammer?" Severus smirked as he used his long fingers to massage the back of her head. "I have no idea."

"No, as opposed… I mean…"

Severus watched as the exhaustion of the day finally took over her protests. No spell in the world is as effective, he thought fondly.

*S*S*

Sunday morning Elizabeth woke to the full use of her arm, albeit stiff. Stretching, she slipped into her slippers and padded into the living room.

Severus was reading the Daily Prophet and sipping tea. "Good morning, daredevil. Hungry?" She nodded and he summoned an elf to bring food. "Come here and let me look at your arm."

"It's stiff, but it feels okay," Elizabeth sat beside him on the sofa and let him stretch her fingers, wrist, and elbow.

"It looks alright," Severus pronounced. "I'd say you are one good breakfast away from being good as new. Which is more than I can say for Professor Lockhart."

"What did you do?" Elizabeth asked warily as she sat at the table.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," Severus smirked and poured himself another cup of tea. "Tea or juice?"

"Juice, please," Elizabeth took a bite of eggs. "You didn't do anything to Dobby, did you?"

"Is Dobby the elf?" Severus shook his head. "I think sending him back to the Malfoys is punishment enough. Do you have plans for the day?"

"Am I allowed to have plans?" Elizabeth looked at him over her juice glass.

"I'm not angry with you, hatchling. I understand that there is inherent danger in Quidditch. I don't like it, but I knew the danger when I signed the bloody permission form."

Elizabeth blinked at the rare show of coarse language from her father. Not that she believed that he never swore, but he did it so infrequently in front of her that she could almost imagine that he never did it at all.

Severus sighed. "I should never have signed it, but I did, and I know you enjoy it, so I will do my best not to have a heart attack. However," he cleared his throat. "We need to speak about something else."

"Okay," Elizabeth stopped. "Wait, where's Casper?"

"Your debutante dress of an animal is on my bed, where he has spent all of his nights and most of his days since we arrived."

"Oh. He doesn't really like me very much."

"Cats are solitary creatures, they don't like anyone as a general rule," Severus said, "But we digress from the actual point. There was another attack last night. I believe you know the young man, a Mr. Creevey?"

"He follows me around with a camera," Elizabeth said quietly. "Is he… like Mrs. Norris?"

"He's petrified, if that's what you mean." Severus nodded. "The danger—

"No!" Elizabeth looked at him, wide-eyed.

"What?" Severus looked confused.

"You can't make me leave!" Elizabeth was out of her chair, hands on her hips. Severus would have thought her stance was humorous if he wasn't so startled.

"Can't make you leave the table? You seem to have already done that."

"Hogwarts! You know what I meant!"

"I'm sure you meant to lower your voice," Severus said evenly.

"Don't— Ahh!" Elizabeth threw her hands in the air, and Severus was hit full force with a memory of Lily shouting. She used to get wound up until she couldn't speak, and then end up throwing her hands up just like that.

When Lily was like this, he stayed quiet. Eventually, she would wear herself out fuming and would be able to speak rationally.

The difference was, Lily was a grown woman. Not exactly the same situation as he was currently in.

"Sit." He ordered, pointing at her recently vacated chair.

"No! You said I could come back!"

"And I don't believe that I've gone back on that point," Severus said tightly. "However, this childish display may mean I should investigate some nursery schools."

"I AM a child!" Elizabeth stormed. "I don't care if it's dangerous—

"Elizabeth Snape," Severus' voice was sharp. "If you value seeing the sun ever again, you'll sit down this instant."

"Hmmpf," Elizabeth threw herself into her chair.

"Now, as I was saying before I was interrupted, the danger of the situation has increased. Since there was an attack on a student, we need to take certain precautions." Severus paused to take a drink of tea. "Mr. Creevey was attacked while he was wandering alone in the halls after curfew. Something you have a propensity to do yourself." He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to protest. "From now on, you are to be in your dormitory or in these rooms directly after supper and stay there until the morning."

"Oh." Elizabeth looked down at her plate.

"By 'Oh' I'm sure you mean, 'yes, sir'," Severus said firmly.

"Yeah," Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off her eggs.

"Elizabeth," Severus cleared his throat.

She dragged her eyes up to his. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Severus stood. "Another outburst like that and you won't have a choice between residences for quite a while," he said sternly. "I should take your broom."

"Sorry," Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Hmm." Severus pulled out his wand. "Are you finished eating?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus waved the leftovers and dishes away. "You should dress. I'm sure there is something you need to be doing this morning."

Elizabeth nodded, starting toward her room. At the door, she turned back to see him brushing lint from his teaching robes. "Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus turned his attention to her.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes… You called me Elizabeth Snape."

Severus sighed. "I'm sorry. I lost focus for a moment."

Elizabeth shook her head, "It's okay, I just wondered. I mean, we've talked about it before I you said you didn't want me to have your name—

"Stop," Severus hung his robes back on the hook and closed the gap between them. "Never, in my life, have I said the words you just attributed to me," he said firmly. "Your mother and I made a decision in a time of war to give you her name to protect you. That doesn't mean that I didn't want you to have mine. You and I have had discussions in which I've told you that it will be your choice when you come of age. Those discussions also do not mean that I don't want you to carry my name. Understood?"

Elizabeth nodded, a bit stunned at the vehemence that was coming from her father.

"In reference to today, I often think of my surname in conjunction with you. Apparently, that was verbalized today, as it has been a few times over the course of this last year, I'm sure." He looked at her intently. "It means nothing except that some part of my brain is exhibiting a Neanderthal need to stake my claim over what is mine." He frowned. "It tends to become more forceful when you are, in some way, acting as if you've forgotten who is the head of this household."

Elizabeth grimaced. "I really am sorry."

Severus snorted. "While I prefer when you exhibit your temper in accordance with your mother's side of your genealogy, I wish you would at least give others a chance to speak before you lose your mind." He gave her the indulgent-exasperated look that he wore so often, and turned her back toward her room. "Get dressed and you can floo to the Tower."

*S*S*

Elizabeth was not at all sure that Hermione had a good plan. Creating a diversion in Potions was not going to be an easy task. But Hermione had insisted that they had to have a bicorn horn and bloomslang skin for the Polyjuice Potion, and the only person who would have it was Snape. She'd leafed through one of her father's ingredient catalogs, thinking they could just buy the ingredients. She had money saved… but there was no way she could justify the purchase to Severus, and ordering rare ingredients would draw attention.

A few weeks before, she wouldn't have considered it. But as fall ended and winter began, Severus was…different. He seemed distracted all the time, and his comments to everyone were more biting than she'd ever heard. Fred commented that Potions class was back to being filled with Snape's sharp tongue.

"He had stopped being so hateful, but the old Snape is back," George agreed one night in the Gryffindor common room.

Elizabeth had never known the "old Snape", but even she knew that her father was not himself. His patience was nonexistent, and he'd been spending more time in the lab with the door closed. He snapped at everything, socks on the floor of her bedroom, her arrival on time to class instead of early. Her writing on the last paper was too large, and she spent too much time playing Quidditch.

The worst had been a week before. She'd left the Great Hall after dinner, but had remembered that her sweater was still at the table halfway to the Tower. When Severus caught her "dawdling" at the Gryffindor table, he'd almost dragged her down the corridor to their quarters, where he gave her a blistering lecture about obedience and following rules outlined for her safety.

No amount of explaining helped her case; in fact it only seemed to enrage him further. 50 lines of "I will take responsibility for my actions" and a weekend confined to her bedroom had produced more irritation than contrite feelings.

And so she found herself in Potions class, one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks in her pocket, ready to create enough of a problem to let Hermione steal.

Severus was walking up and down the rows, barking at everyone. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than usual. When he reached her cauldron, he dipped a stirring stick inside and frowned. "Too much water, Miss Evans. Try actually measuring this time." He vanished the contents and strode off.

Elizabeth shot Hermione a look and the other girl nodded. As Severus was looming over Neville, Elizabeth activated the firecracker and tossed it across the aisle and into Goyle's cauldron.

Goyle's potion exploded, sending Swelling Solution everywhere. Elizabeth hid a grin when Malfoy got hit in the nose with spray. Between Draco's huge nose and Goyle's huge eyes Severus had plenty to keep him occupied as Hermione slipped into his office.

"SILENCE!" Snape roared, pulling vials out of his desk. "Come here, anyone who was affected. The rest of you, sit down and be quiet!"

Elizabeth sat with the unaffected side of the room and watched as the other half, mostly Slytherins, went to Snape to be de-swelled.

When everyone was deflated, Severus swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.

Those things should really totally disappear, Elizabeth thought. I'll have to tell Fred and George.

"If I ever find out who threw this," Severus whispered. "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

Elizabeth tried to look frightened, knowing that Severus could spot her fake "innocent" look a mile away. He looked at her, then away. The bell couldn't come fast enough.

*S*S*

"Snape can't prove it was you," Ron said reassuringly as they watched Hermione throw the new ingredients into the cauldron and stir. "Besides, even if he does, what can he do?"

"Expel me. Ground me forever. Send me back to live with my relatives."

"Okay, maybe." Ron conceded.

"He wouldn't send you back," Hermione shook her head. "And where are you going to live if he expels you?"

Elizabeth's stomach was a knot that wouldn't untangle. "He knows it was me. That's all I'm saying."

*S*S*

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…"

"Should we go?" Ron was looking at the Dueling Club flier on the wall.

"Could be useful," Hermione said, examining the information.

So with that consensus, the trio showed up in the Great Hall that evening after dinner. Elizabeth had sent her father a note explaining why she would not be returning to the dorm directly after dinner, and had received no response. So, taking that as permission, Elizabeth stood in the crowd of students.

"I wonder who will be teaching?" Hermione asked as they waited. "Do you think it's your dad? I was reading a dueling book the other day, and he's mentioned."

"As long as it isn't Lockhart, I don't care," Elizabeth mumbled, looking at the golden stage that had been erected at one end of the hall. "Although, I hope it's not Dad." She'd been successfully avoiding him for the past week, between his hermit-like lab time and her "homework", she'd been able to not be around him. It was too hard. He knew she caused that explosion, and she couldn't look at him, in case he was wearing his disappointed expression.

But her worst fears were realized, as Gilderoy Lockhart arrived on the scene, striding onto the stage, accompanied by Severus, his robes swirling more than usual.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me?"

"Even if you were down the street," Ron grumbled.

"Excellent!" Lockhart said, as if anyone had answered him. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart flashed his smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin."

"My mum says your dad was a champion dueler when they were in school," Ron whispered. "He went to the championships."

"Remus showed me pictures," Elizabeth nodded. "Like ballet with wands."

"Now, I don't want any of you to worry," Lockhart was saying. "You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"You think Lockhart would accidentally Obliviate him?" Elizabeth whispered to Ron.

"He accidentally does a lot of things," Ron shrugged. "It's totally possible."

Elizabeth snuck a look at Severus. His upper lip was curling. Lockhart better run, Elizabeth thought. Just that look made Elizabeth want to sink through the floor.

The two professors turned to face each other and bowed, Lockhart with more flourish than Severus' jerk of his head. Then they raised their wands like swords.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the acceptable combative position," Lockhart said. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Elizabeth murmured to Ron, looking at Severus' stormy face.

"One— two— three—

Both adults swung their wands and pointed them at their opponent.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus shouted, and there was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. Elizabeth watched as her Defense professor flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it, sprawling on the floor.

Malfoy and the Slytherins cheered. Hermione looked aghast. Elizabeth was torn between pride in her father and fear at his power. She'd never seen him use magic aggressively like that, even though she knew he could. The worst she'd seen was when he froze or tied up Dobby.

Lockhart was getting up. "Well, there you have it!" He pulled himself back up onto the stage. "That was a Disarming Charm— as you see, I've lost my wand— ah, thank you, Miss Brown— yes, and excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy— however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"

Elizabeth couldn't believe how clueless Lockhart was. How could anyone not see that Severus was looking like he was going to kill someone?

"Enough demonstrating!" Lockhart went on. "I'm going to come amongst you now and put you will into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me—

Ron and Hermione moved together, and Elizabeth felt someone grab her hand. Looking up, she saw Fred, grinning down at her. "Where did you come from?" she asked.

"Snuck in the back. I'm a ninja on the weekends."

Severus was moving toward them. "No need to endanger Miss Granger's life with your faulty wand, Mr. Weasley," Snape said to Ron. "You can partner Finnigan. Miss Granger, you can partner Miss Bulstrode," he gestured to a homely looking Slytherin girl. Then he turned to Elizabeth and Fred. "Oh, I don't think so. Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of Miss Evans. And you, Mr. Weasley, choose someone else if you can get your hormones under control."

Elizabeth's face flamed, but Severus was already striding away.

"I thought your dad kind of liked me," Fred whispered as Malfoy made his way over.

"He's acting nuts," Elizabeth shrugged as Lockhart called out orders.

"Face your partners! And bow!"

Elizabeth barely inclined her head to Draco, and he returned the barely civil gesture.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents— only to disarm them— we don't want any accidents— one…two…three—

Elizabeth swung her wand high, but Draco had already started on "two". His spell hit Elizabeth so hard she felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. She stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Elizabeth pointed her wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing as the tickling charm hit him.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd.

"Tarantallegra!" Malfoy choked out, spelling Elizabeth's legs into a quickstep.

"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Severus wasn't wasting his words.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted. Elizabeth's feet stopped, and Malfoy was suddenly able to breathe again.

Around them, students were lying on the floor. Ron's wand was smoking for some reason, and Hermione and Milicent Bulstrode were lying on top of each other in what was clearly the middle of a fight that didn't involve wands.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart circulated, giving unwelcome advice to the various injured.

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart looked a bit flustered. "Let's have a volunteer pair— Longbottom and Flinch-Fletchley, how about you—

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape said, perusing the crowd. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of the other boy up to the hospital wing in a matchbox."

Elizabeth sent Neville a sympathetic glance. His face was pink.

"How about Malfoy and Evans?"

Why is he torturing me? Elizabeth thought as the crowd moved back to leave her alone in the middle with Draco.

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart. "Now, Elizabeth," he stepped into the clearing. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops— my wand is a little overexcited."

"Three— two— one— go!" Lockhart shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

A long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike.

"Draco!" Severus grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck.

"Don't worry, Professor, I'll get rid of it," Lockhart shouted. He pointed his wand at the snake, but instead of vanishing it, he succeeded only it sending it up in the air and then smacking back down.

The snake, not at all pleased with this development, raised itself to strike, looking right at Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Looking back, Elizabeth wasn't sure what she was feeling right before she did it. All she knew was that she was walking toward that snake and shouting "Leave him alone!" as if a snake could understand and obey her. Miraculously, the snake seemed to do just that. It slumped to the floor and looked at Elizabeth, who stepped back, suddenly secure in the knowledge that the snake would be harmless.

She looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see the boy looking relieved or grateful, but certainly not angry and scared.

"What are you playing at?" he shouted, and before Elizabeth could say anything, Justin had turned and fled from the hall.

Severus stepped forward and vanished the snake, looking at Elizabeth with… what was it? Fear?

"Come on," Fred was behind her. "Move. Come on," Fred, Ron, and Hermione hurried her out the door and down the corridor to the common room.

"You're a Parselmouth," Ron said when they had shoved her into a chair. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?"

"A Parselmouth!" Ron said again. "You can talk to snakes!"

"So? I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. This is bad."

"What's bad? What's wrong with everyone?" she looked at Fred, who had been silent since he'd ushered her out of the Great Hall. "Look, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin—

"That's what you said to it?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean? You were there, you heard me!"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," Ron said. "Snake language. You would have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked."

"I spoke a different language? But— I didn't realize— What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin's okay?"

"It matters," Fred said finally, his voice low. "It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

"Exactly," Hermione put in. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great—

"She gets it, Hermione," Ron cut her off.

"But I'm not!"

"You'll find that hard to prove," Hermione said quietly. "For all we know, you could be. And With your dad being Head of Syltherin House… it doesn't look good."

So that was why Severus was afraid… he was afraid of her. That she was… Elizabeth gulped just thinking about it… the Heir of Slytherin.