Christmas morning, Severus woke at five and made breakfast. Remus arrived a half hour later. Then they waited. Six o'clock came and went. The clock struck seven. They had eaten everything Severus had cooked and played five games of chess by eight.

"I thought you explained to her that she was supposed to be up annoyingly early on Christmas morning after last year." Remus' knight flattened Severus' rook.

"I did. And she went to bed at 9 last night, so it's not as if she stayed up late."

"How long is she grounded?"

"Until the end of time," Severus sent his knight to battle.

"Seriously, Sev."

"Seriously? I don't know. Every day I wish that I didn't have to be a prison guard, but then I remember that cauldron exploding, and how she was going to drink that potion."

"You said that potion was perfect."

"It was," Severus sacrificed a pawn. "That isn't the point."

"Minerva said you have Hermione working for you twice a week."

"She's doing my grunt work."

"You're training her."

Severus moved his bishop. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"What was it that you were brewing under your bed third year?"

Severus scowled and didn't answer.

"Slughorn caught you and gave you every night detention. In his private lab. Where you started out doing grunt work, if I recall correctly."

"I didn't give her detention with me every evening."

"Because you have a child. But you saw the next Potions Master, didn't you? Or Mistress, I guess."

"She's a Gryffindor."

"Oh, I forgot, only snakes can be good at Potions."

"I'm going to wake Elizabeth."

"Okay," Remus smirked, dropping the subject.

Severus went upstairs and knocked on the door. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes, sir?" Severus heard her voice, not at all heavy with sleep, and went in to find her sitting up on her made bed, fully dressed.

"What are you doing up here?" Severus asked incredulously.

"I don't think I should come down."

Severus sighed, "Are we going to do this for every family holiday? It's just Remus, anyway."

"I stole from you." Elizabeth stared at her hands.

"Yes," Severus said simply, crossing his arms.

"I shouldn't have."

"No."

"I don't deserve Christmas."

"You certainly do not," Severus agreed. "However, I've often been told that I am forgiving and exceedingly benevolent." He crouched in front of her. "Elizabeth, you made a mistake. A terrible mistake, but it was a mistake. Even purgatory ends sometime."

Elizabeth shrugged, and Severus sighed.

"You really are my daughter, aren't you?" He shook his head, then picked her up under her arms and set her on the floor. "If it makes you feel better, I'll hang you by your toes in the dungeons tomorrow, but today is Christmas." He smoothed her hair, then propelled her out the door and down the stairs with a hand on her back.

"Hey sleepyhead," Remus greeted. "Your presents are lonely." He gestured to the tree.

*S*S*

After Elizabeth opened her gifts, she curled up next to Severus while he opened his. He left his left arm circled around her while he carefully unwrapped the bundle with Elizabeth's handwriting on it.

"Oh Elizabeth," Severus pulled out the bicorn horn and boomslang skin. "Foolish monster," he tightened his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"I know." He rocked her a little. He pulled out the journal. "Encouraging me to be lazy, are you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her and she grinned. "Thank you, hatchling."

"You're welcome."

Severus smoothed her hair. "I could use a cup of tea, Elizabeth, could you put the kettle on?"

"Sure," Elizabeth jumped up. "But where's Francy?"

"I gave her the holidays off," Severus said. "Just watch the kettle."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen.

"Remus Lupin, you shouldn't have funded this," Severus held up the ingredients and journal.

"I didn't," Remus shrugged. "I did the leg work, because you had her locked in the tower waiting for the prince, but it was her money."

"My daughter is a bank robber," Severus blew air out of his nose. "Did you check and make sure the gold was real?"

Remus laughed. "It wasn't gold, Sev. It was Sickles. Every Sickle you ever gave her, hidden in her sock drawer." He made a pretty good imitation of Snape's smirk. "Your daughter is not a felon, Snape. She's a hoarder."

"Merlin, help me." Severus rubbed his hand over his face.

"Dad?" Elizabeth's voice from the kitchen interrupted his prayers. He got up and went into the other room where she was standing over the tea selection. "Hi. I just wanted to know what you wanted."

"Ladies don't shout from other rooms," Severus scolded lightly, taking the tea box. "We'll bring it all out, and the kettle. And you should eat breakfast."

"Dad?"

Severus looked at his daughter's serious face and put the tea back on the counter. "Yes?"

"I can't promise not to fight when my family and friends are in trouble."

Severus nodded once. "Perhaps," he said carefully, "it was unreasonable of me to expect it." He leaned against the counter. "But the lying and stealing has to stop." He regarded her sternly. "You have been saddled with an incredible burden, and I'm sorry I can't lift it." The kettle whistled and they both ignored it. "I had hoped that I could protect you from it, at least for a little while longer." He grimaced. "Damn Gryffindor blood."

"No more lying," Elizabeth said quietly. "You have to blame Mum for the other thing."

"She's forgiven me for worse things," Severus said, moving the kettle off the burner before holding her by the shoulders. "Let me make something clear." He locked eyes with her. "I am your father. My first priority is your safety and happiness. And while I am willing to concede that there is a certain amount of danger in your life, I'm not willing to change my mind on my protection of you."

"Okay."

"You will inform me of your activities. You will obey me when I tell you to do or not to do something. And you will remember that you are not alone in this battle."

"Yes, sir."

"I love you, Elizabeth, and while the Light might benefit from me reverting to my ruthless past and throwing you to the wolves, I cannot do that. Do you understand?"

"It's going to be alright," Elizabeth said, putting her arms around his waist.

"I wish I could believe that, my little optimist."

*S*S*

"What do you know about Hogwarts 50 years ago?" School was back in session, and Elizabeth was sitting in Severus' office, serving her now thrice-weekly detention.

"How old do you think I am?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say you were here 50 years ago," Elizabeth shook her head.

"Why do you ask?"

"I found this," Elizabeth pulled a leather journal from her bag. "It was in the girls' toilet."

"And you thought you'd just toss it in your bag?" Severus grimaced.

"There's nothing inside, just a name. 'T.M. Riddle'," she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "According to my research, Riddle got a special award from the school 50 years ago. Which, coincidentally, is the time when the Chamber was opened last."

"Riddle?" Severus narrowed his eyes. "Let me see."

"Do you know him?" Elizabeth handed over the diary.

"Not exactly," Severus said quietly, looking over the book.

"Hermione tried to reveal the ink, but there's nothing." Elizabeth offered.

"I need to speak to your grandfather," Severus stood, diary still in his hand. "Stay here, I'll return in a little while."

"I can't come?"

"Elizabeth—

"Dad." Elizabeth frowned. "I thought you were going to include me in this stuff."

Severus pressed his lips together. He had no desire to go deeper into this with his twelve year old in tow. However, he had less of a desire for her to go underground with her investigation, which he knew very well would happen if he didn't reward this confidence she'd shown in telling him about the diary.

"You may come along. However," he looked down at her. "You will remember that any information obtained in this meeting should be used to make a decision with my supervision, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright then," Severus pointed to the door. "After you. The new password, I believe, is 'malted milk balls'. Is there such a thing?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "How do you not know malted milk balls? You grew up Muggle!"

"I most certainly did not," Severus sniffed. "I'm a half blood."

"You know what I mean," Elizabeth hovered close to his side as they walked.

"We didn't have money for such things," Severus said quietly, slowing his pace a bit to let her keep up.

"Sorry," Elizabeth flushed a little. She hadn't wanted to embarrass him.

"No need to apologize, hatchling. It's not a point of pity," he said gently, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Once your grandfather was in my life, I was too much of a teenager to listen to his candy ramblings."

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus could sense trouble.

"Is your dad still alive? I mean your real one?"

Severus was quiet for a moment. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"You never looked?"

"Sometimes it's better not to know," Severus said quietly before he murmured the password so they could enter Dumbledore's office.

"Severus," Albus nodded at his son. "Elizabeth. To what do I owe this visit?"

Severus dropped the diary on Dumbledore's desk. "Elizabeth found this in the girls' lavatory."

"Riddle?" Dumbledore asked quietly, looking at the diary.

"It's blank," Elizabeth put in, moving unconsciously toward Severus as Albus frowned at the diary. "We checked for invisible ink, but there isn't any."

"Aren't you clever?" Dumbledore said. "Have you tried writing in it?"

Severus sucked in breath and held it until Elizabeth shook her head.

"Well then," Albus held out a quill. "Let's see, shall we?"

"Absolutely not!" Severus snatched his daughter's wrist as she reached for the quill. "That thing reeks of Dark magic. She shouldn't be anywhere near it!"

"Severus, we don't know that it isn't anything other than a diary," Albus said calmly.

"Then you do it!"

Albus raised his eyebrows slightly at his son's petulant tone. Go ahead, Severus, stop her from doing this. She'll belong to me if you keep her out, and you know it.

"Well, I suppose—

"No!" Elizabeth glared at her father. "I didn't have to bring this to you, Dad, but I did."

"Elizabeth Snape, are you blackmailing me?"

Elizabeth met his gaze without responding.

Albus watched the proceedings, wondering if either Severus or Elizabeth had mind control powers he didn't know about. They seemed to be talking, his dark eyes and her green ones locked in a battle of some kind.

Then Severus crooked his finger and Elizabeth crossed the few steps that separated them. She leaned her forehead against his waistcoat.

"Thank you, Dad."

Severus stroked her hair for a moment, then turned his glare on Albus. "I blame you for this, old man. Pinning this nonsense on her."

"Whatever you need to believe, Severus." Albus said serenely. "But this journal is 50 years old, when Riddle was roughly your daughter's age. It may do us well to think as a child."

Severus shook his head and turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Use the common sense I know you have," he said quietly. "If you feel something is wrong, stop immediately."

"Don't worry, Dad."

Severus shook his head again, but released her to pick up the quill. Sitting in the chair in front of Albus' desk, she raised the quill and dropped a drop of ink on the first page. The ink was visible for a moment and then disappeared, as if it were being sucked into the page.

Loading her quill again, she wrote, "My name is Elizabeth Evans." These words disappeared as well, then, oozing back out of the page, different words came back.

"Hello, Elizabeth Evans. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?"

These words faded, and Elizabeth felt her father's hand on her shoulder.

"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet," she wrote back.

"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."

"Like me," Severus muttered.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth scrawled quickly.

"I mean this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Things you did, no doubt," Severus said softly, both hands on her shoulders now.

"Me?" Elizabeth looked at him.

"Not you, him." Severus gestured to the diary with his head.

"I'm at Hogwarts," Elizabeth wrote back. "Horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."

"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"

Albus pressed his lips together.

"I can show you, if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."

"No, you cannot." Severus hissed from over her shoulder.

But Elizabeth had already responded. "OK".

The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. The square for June thirteenth seemed to have turned into a minuscule television screen. She leaned forward to see into it, and felt herself tipping forward, the window was widening, her body left the chair and she was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of color and shadow.

She felt her feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around her came suddenly into focus. It seemed like she was still in Dumbledore's office, but where Albus had been sitting a moment before, a balding, frail wizard was reading a letter by candlelight. She didn't recognize him.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to butt in—

"He can't hear you." Elizabeth turned to see that Severus was behind her. "This is Riddle's memory. You don't actually exist here, so you can only watch, not interact."

"This is Dumbledore's office?"

"Not 50 years ago," Severus said.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard.

A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat.

"Is it Halloween?" Elizabeth asked Severus in a hushed voice.

"The pointed hat used to be more popular," Severus answered, his eyes trained on the teenager.

"Ah, Riddle," the headmaster was saying.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle.

"Sit down. I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down.

"My dear boy," said Dippet. "I cannot possible let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," said Riddle at once. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that— to that—

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?"

"Dad?" Elizabeth turned sad eyes on Severus, who brought his forearm around her collarbones, pulling her solidly against him.

"You and I aren't the only wizards with unfortunate childhoods," he said gently.

"You are Muggle-born?" the headmaster asked.

"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents—?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me."

"The thing is, Tom," the older wizard sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?"

Elizabeth gripped Severus' arm.

"Precisely. My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in the light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the— er— source of all this unpleasantness…"

"Sir, if the person was caught, if it all stopped—

"Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.

Elizabeth recognized a lie when she heard one, especially from a frightened teenager.

"Dad—

"I know," Severus nodded, "But he's leaving, we need to follow. We'll talk when we get out of this."

Riddle led them into the hallway.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?" A voice came from the staircase. Elizabeth watched with interest as Riddle spoke to someone she finally realized was a much younger Albus.

"He looks strange with brown hair," she said to Severus, who smirked.

Riddle led them on, down a corridor, until they saw a dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

"Evening, Rubeus," Riddle said sharply.

The boy slammed the door shut.

"Dad, it's Hagrid!"

"I'm going to turn you in, Rubeus," Riddle was saying. "They are going to close Hogwarts if they don't catch what's doing this."

"It never killed no one!" Young Hagrid said, backing against the closed door.

"Come on, Rubeus," Riddle said. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!"

Riddle hit the door with a blinding spell. As Elizabeth watched, a huge, hairy body and a tangle of black legs emerged, a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pinchers flashing into view. Elizabeth screamed, and Severus pulled her back against him.

"It's alright," he said calmly. "It can't hurt you."

Riddle raised his wand again, but the monster bowled him over as it scuttled down the corridor and out of sight. Elizabeth watched as Riddle tried to go after it, but Hagrid knocked him back to the ground.

The scene whirled, and darkness became complete; Elizabeth felt herself falling and, with a crash, she landed on her back, Severus beneath her breaking her fall, in Dumbledore's office. Riddle's diary was on her stomach.

She rolled off to the side, thinking as she did that Severus' billowing robes seemed to make a lake of black on the floor.

"Are you two alright?" Albus was standing behind his desk as if he'd been waiting.

"Yeah." Elizabeth scrambled to her feet as Severus rose, more gracefully. He snatched the diary from the floor and tossed it on Dumbledore's desk before taking his daughter's shoulders in his hands.

"All in one piece?" he looked intently at her face.

"I'm fine."

"What did you see?" Albus eyed the diary.

"Nothing," Elizabeth said quickly.

"Elizabeth," Severus raised an eyebrow. "We discussed lying."

"I promised I wouldn't lie to you," Elizabeth said quickly. "He didn't do it, Dad."

"We know, hatchling." Severus said gently, looking at Albus. "Riddle showed us his…solution to his housing problem."

"Hagrid." Albus nodded. "Not the last we'll hear of him in this unfortunate affair, I imagine."

"There's no way—

"Elizabeth," Severus cut her off. "No one in this room thinks that Hagrid is causing this. Riddle was… a troubled boy." He looked at his daughter and could see the questions swirling in her eyes. "Let's go," he put his arm around her. "Father, you'll take care of that?" he gestured at the diary.

Albus nodded. "I will have your mother run some tests."

*S*S*

Back in the dungeons, Severus settled into his armchair with tea and looked at his daughter. "Alright, out with it."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Nothing, the monster just freaked me out, I guess."

"I believe that," Severus said, setting his cup on the table. "But you were upset before that."

"It's just…" Elizabeth bit her lip. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Severus crooked a finger. "Come here."

"I'm too old," Elizabeth protested, climbing into his lap and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Oh really?" Severus smoothed her hair. He waited, marveling for a moment at his own patience. It was certainly not a trait he'd possessed in the past.

"There's something about him," she said studied the buttons on his jacket. "I don't know what it is. Evil, I guess."

"Hmm."

"You know something about him, don't you?"

"Nothing helpful to the situation," Severus lied smoothly, taking a sip of tea.

"I can understand not wanting to go home," Elizabeth murmured.

Severus' brow furrowed. "You don't want to go home?"

"Oh! Not now," Elizabeth realized her mistake. "I'm saying that I wouldn't have wanted to go back to the Dursleys."

"I see," Severus relaxed a bit.

"Dad? If I was still living with them… would I have come to Hogwarts? Would I have gotten a letter?"

"Of course," Severus said gently. "Your grandfather might have had to go to Surrey himself, but you would have come to Hogwarts."

"And gone back in the summer?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Elizabeth," Severus soothed. "Everything is fine. Everything will be fine."

"I guess."

Severus sighed. "Why don't you floo to your common room?" he suggested.

"Really?"

"Two hours," he said firmly. "Two hours from now, you will be on that sofa," he pointed. "Clear?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you!" She hugged him and flew off his lap like she was being launched.

*S*S*

"Betsy!" Fred and George were sitting next to the fire, furiously drawing something on parchment. Fred grinned as she came through the floo. "The warden let you out?"

"Two hours," she said affably.

"Ron and Granger are outside somewhere," George said, turning the parchment right and left and back right.

"But you can hang with us," Fred said, snagging her waist and pulling her to sit with him on the oversized armchair.

"What are you guys working on?"

"Lumos Taffy," Fred pointed to the parchment. "After you eat it, light comes out of your mouth for an hour."

"We'd like it to come out of your ears too," George added. "But we can't figure out how to do it."

"You need something that interacts with ear wax," Elizabeth said, sitting back in the chair.

Fred looked at her, his grin even bigger. "That's exactly what we need!" He snatched the parchment and started scribbling. "The mouth thing works because we charmed it to work with body fluids…"

"Makes peeing fun as well," George put in.

"But if we change the charm… or a double charm?" Fred looked at George.

"We need testing, Weasley."

"Definitely, Weasley."

George jumped up. "Quick Hogsmeade trip."

"No problem." Fred waved him off. "I'll be here."

"Why aren't you going?" Elizabeth asked when George was gone.

"Security is tighter lately because of the whole chamber thing," Fred said, leaning back next to her. "It's better if one of us stays here so that our face is visible."

"You're a bad influence, Weasley." Elizabeth grinned at him.

"Oh really?" Fred eyed her hand that lay on the cushion between them. "You're the one who has been on house arrest."

"I've been given a two hour parole," she said, wondering how long she was going to have to leave her hand there before he would take it. "Good behavior."

"I don't believe that for a minute," Fred said quietly. "You just haven't gotten caught lately."

"I'm trying to get Quidditch back," she said forlornly. "Dad's loving that I can't play. It's not likely to be the thing that he relents on."

"We could put you in a disguise. Or have Granger whip you up some polyjuice—

"Don't!" Elizabeth punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't even say it."

"Just kidding," Fred grabbed her fist, holding it between his hands. "That was wicked, though."

"You were cool with that, but dragons bothered you?" Elizabeth fought to keep her voice steady. His hands were warm and soft.

"Granger wouldn't poison you," he grinned. "Just don't drink anything Malfoy made, alright?"

"Deal."