Chapter Two: Hidden Truth

I disclaim because I don't own it at all! (Well…I did make Kailey up but that's pretty much it…)

Yep, I posted the first chapter the same day as the second chapter because I'm just that annoying! Okay, please enjoy!

My Hogwarts letter was handed to me by Professor McGonagall on the morning of Harry's birthday. I nodded my thanks to her and set it down next to my plate on the table.

"Well?" McGonagall asked. I looked up at her. She held an expectant expression on her face. "Aren't you going to open it?" I looked around the table. The few others sitting there were also looking at me, as if they all shared a secret of some sort.

"Okay," I said slowly and ripped open the letter. I looked down to read it but my eyes couldn't get past the first three words.

Dear Ms. Snape…

I blinked before looking up at all of them then back at the letter. Of all the thoughts about Snape being my father I had had, a name change had not been one of them. I quickly scanned the rest of the letter and reached inside the envelope to pull out the Hogsmeade permission form. I looked from the form to the letter then at Snape, who was sitting next to me. Slowly, I handed my permission form over to him and he took out a quill and signed it.

Later that week, Snape and I were in the potions room where I was trying to write the assigned essay on Shrinking Solutions when the door opened and Dumbledore strode inside. He didn't look too pleased so I set my quill down and stood up.

"Let me guess, Harry has run away from the Dursleys', blown up his aunt and you want me to tell you where he is?" I asked, checking my pocket for my wand. It was safely in place so I wouldn't need to go back to my room to get it. "Want me to take care of it? I'm dying to get out of the castle anyway," I added.

"If it is alright with your father, then you may go and get him, I do not think he will listen to me at the moment," Dumbledore agreed. I looked over at Snape who nodded his consent. "Bring him to the Leaky Cauldron and either I or your father will be waiting to bring you both back,"

I nodded and headed off for Hogsmeade. Once I was sure no one followed me I turned to go and use one of the secret tunnels that led to Honeydukes to make my trip shorter. I arrived in Hogsmeade five minutes later and stood in the deserted street before I pulled out my wand and stuck it into the air. There was a loud bang and suddenly a triple-decker, violet bus stood in front of me, the words The Knight Bus inscribed in yellow above the windshield.

"'Ello and welcome to the Knight Bus, my name is Stan and I will be your conductor this ev'ning," said Stan Shunpike, a pimple covered boy in a purple suit, reading from a card that he placed back into his coat pocket.

"Hi," I replied, handing him a few sickles and stepping onto the bus. Looking around, I realized that Harry was not yet on the bus. I went over and sat down on one of the beds as the bus began moving, immediately flying into a break-neck speed.

"Sorry, but where did ya' say ya' was goin' to?" Stan asked, sitting in a chair that faced away from the crazy driver, facing the passengers.

"I didn't," I replied. "I'm meeting someone; he should be on soon,"

"What's your name?"

"Kailey…" I hesitated for a moment. "Snape, I'm Kailey Snape," it sounded so foreign coming out of my mouth and I could tell Stan was confused as well.

"You mean Professah Snape? You related to 'im?"

"He's my dad," I replied, quietly, a little embarrassed and wishing I had used my old name instead. Suddenly we jerked to a stop in a small lane. Stan hopped up and began giving his speech again before I heard him pause before asking why the person was on the ground. Smiling, 

I leaned back in the bed a little so that Harry wouldn't notice me as he got on and told Stan to bring him to the Leaky Cauldron while informing him that his name was Neville Longbottom. Once the bus began moving, Harry began looking around the bus to see if he was alone.

"Hi Neville," I chirped before he could look around the whole bus. He jumped when he noticed me and I winked at him in understanding of the alias.

"Is this who you was lookin' fo'?" Stan asked.

"Yep," I replied. "Neville and I are going to the Leaky Cauldron then we're going up to Hogwarts from there," Harry looked slightly surprised at this news but didn't need to question me as Stan did.

"Are you headin' up there because of Sirius Black?"

"Who's Sirius Black?" Harry asked. I rolled my eyes but Stan stuttered in shock before showing Harry the most recent of the Daily Prophet.

"Thirteen people?" Harry asked when Stan had finished, though he was looking at me. "With one curse,"

"Scary ain't it? Though they say he was You-Know-Who's righ' han' man,"

"Urban legend," I muttered. But Stan shook his head.

"There was witnesses. Even Black's girlfriend was there they say. She witnessed the whole thing but tried to deny it ever happened. Had to go an' live wiff a friend of hers from schoo'. Poor girl ne'er got back on 'er feet, did she Ern?"

"Aye, Fudge fired her a week before Black escaped too, it was in the papers. They think she had something to do with it," Ern nodded, sounding like an old sailor telling a pirate's tale. "Don't know if I believe it, though. From what I heard of her she was very much on the side of the Light,"

"Who was she?" Harry asked.

"She had a funny name…" Stan answered, scratching his head. "Last name was a kind of apple I think…McIntosh? Yeah, tha' was it, wasn't it, Ern?"

"Aye, Keena McIntosh," Ern answered, nodding.

Harry's mouth clamped shut and I winced slightly as he shot me a quick glance before turning to face the floor. I could only wonder at what he was thinking as the Knight Bus came to a stop in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

"'Ere ya' two are," Stan said as he carried Harry's trunk out of the bus as he followed us to the door. Harry and I turned around to thank Stan once more.

"Ah, Harry, there you are," a superior tone of voice sounded from behind us.

"'Arry? Neville, did 'e just call you 'Arry?"

"Neville? This is Harry Potter!" the minister laughed. "And you gave us quite a scare," he turned to face Stan, seeming to ignore me completely. "Thank you for picking him up, you may leave his things inside; Tom will take care of them,"

With a hand on Harry's shoulder, Fudge led Harry inside and I followed closely, looking around for either Snape or Dumbledore. I spotted green flames in the fire and I placed myself in front of Fudge and Harry, stopping them from continuing.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" he asked, sounding slightly agitated.

"I'm Kailey Snape, sir, one of Harry's friends. The headmaster asked me to come and take Harry to Hogwarts, what with the current situation and all,"

"Snape? I didn't know Severus had any relatives at Hogwarts," he answered. "How do I know you are telling me the truth?"

"If you do not believe her than perhaps you shall listen to me," Fudge turned to find himself face to face with an aggravated Snape. "I am here to collect the two of them just as my daughter has stated," he added.

"I see," Fudge answered, though he did not remove his hand from Harry's shoulder.

"Yes, well, I know how much you like Harry, sir, but we can't floo if you're still hanging on," I stated, sounding as polite as I could. Fudge reddened slightly and removed his hand at once.

"Well, if you would be so kind, Professor, as to inform Dumbledore that he really should tell the ministry if he has plans to whisk away a student so that we don't need to send out search parties like that,"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "How is it that my thirteen year old daughter was able to find Mr. Potter yet you needed to send out search parties?"

"We worry about our children, Snape," Fudge huffed, before stuffing his bowler hat onto his head and leaving the inn promptly. I caught Harry's eye and had to turn away so that I wouldn't burst out laughing.

"This is not funny," Snape stated suddenly. "You, Mr. Potter, need to exercise more caution, the world is not at your beck and call,"

"But he didn't know," I argued for Harry. "He still doesn't know,"

"Then that is for the Headmaster to tell him. As a matter of fact, he is waiting for us. Come," with a flick of his wand, Snape brought Harry's trunk over to the fireplace and instructed me to go first. I flooed into Dumbledore's office and was followed closely by Harry, who stumbled slightly upon exiting, and lastly Snape came out.

"Ah, good, I see you all made it back in one piece," Dumbledore said pleasantly from his desk. "Harry, if you wouldn't mind sitting down. Severus and Kailey, you may go,"

Snape nodded and gestured for me to follow him. But Dumbledore stopped us before we could reach the door. "Could you please bring Harry's trunk with you? I doubt he would like to stay in Gryffindor Tower alone," I smiled, though Snape stiffened. He nodded slowly and levitated Harry's trunk as far from himself as he could as though it were poisonous.

We arrived at our quarters shortly after and Snape deposited Harry's trunk near the door, not seeming to want it anywhere near him. I bit back a small smile as he strode over to his chair and picked up a book on potions.

"Why did you leave his stuff over there?" I asked, flopping down on the couch and resting my elbows on my knees.

"Because he won't be staying here," Snape answered snappishly.

"Why? Where else is he going to stay?" I asked, sitting up a little. "He's not poisonous," I added.

"He is foolish," Snape replied. "Running away from his relatives and blowing up his aunt? Not to mention Sirius Black,"

"I've already told you, Sirius Black is not a threat! Why won't any of you believe me?" I groaned, leaning back into the couch.

"He is a threat and he proved that when he was sixteen," Snape growled. "I will not tolerate any more of this. Go to bed,"

"I'm not ten," I replied angrily.

"I don't care, now go,"

I stood up and glared at him. "Just remember that the only reason I am listening to you right now is because you can ground me. Come the school year the worst you can do is detention,"

The next day I was surprised when I woke up on my own at ten o'clock. Apparently Snape didn't feel like teaching me that morning. I yawned and stretched before taking a shower and getting dressed. I went into the living room to find it empty and made my way to the Great Hall. I spotted Harry sitting at the table and sat down in the empty seat next to him.

"Morning," I greeted just as he took a bite of waffle. I noticed his plate was fuller than it normally was during the school year and I silently cursed the Dursleys. He nodded in acknowledgement of my greeting and continued feasting.

Before I could continue the conversation the doors to the Great Hall burst open and a flustered and nervous looking Remus Lupin came racing into the Hall. Dumbledore stood up as Remus ran right up to him, failing to return the wave I had given him.

"Albus, he's gone! I went over this morning because Arabella mentioned a giant, fat, floating woman and asked me to look in and see if all was well and he wasn't there!" Remus said in one, panicked breath.

"Remus, calm down, my dear boy," Dumbledore said, calmly with one of his annoying know-it-all smiles. "It so happens Harry arrived here last night," he gestured to where the two of us were sitting and Remus looked over before collapsing into a chair.

"Merlin, Harry, why didn't you come over to my house?" Remus asked, shaking his head. "Could you imagine Keena's reaction if she had been here? She would've gone ballistic!"

Harry attempted to hide a scowl at the mention of his godmother's name and I frowned. "I rather doubt that, actually," he replied. "Probably would've laughed it off. She laughs it all off," I raised my eyebrows at that. I would not have laughed it off…! Wouldn't've been ballistic, but I wouldn't've laughed it off either…!

"Why would you say something like that, Harry?" Remus asked. Apparently he had noted the bitterness in Harry's voice as well. "She cares deeply about you,"

Harry just nodded and the table resumed its normal morning chatter.

After breakfast, Harry and I made our way outside to the Quidditch pitch, Harry carrying his broom and me carrying my unfinished potions essay. He flew around the pitch as fast as his broom would go, making him little more than a scarlet blur while I attempted to explain the negative aspects of a shrinking solution. After about an hour he landed next to me, his face flushed and his hair messier than usual, a feat within itself, and he sat down.

"I can't figure it out!" he burst out after a minute of silence.

"Can't figure what out, Harry?" I asked, looking up, grateful for an excuse to stop thinking about potions.

"Why she would help him! Keena, I mean," he began pacing along the row of seats in front of me. "Dumbledore told me that he's after me. That he's a lunatic who thinks that by killing me he'll resurrect Voldemort. Why would she hide him from me? She hasn't contacted me at all either. I know she said she wouldn't be able to but still, even if she can't come home she doesn't have to ignore me,"

"Maybe she doesn't know,"

"You heard what Stan and Ern said from the Knight Bus, she was Black's girlfriend! You would think she would've mentioned something like that. But then that would probably mean…no way…" he stopped pacing and turned to stare at me. I resisted the urge to wince and stared back trying to look interested. "You don't think that he was her daughter's…father do you?" I bit my lip and shrugged.

"I don't know Harry," I answered, trying to sound innocent. Great…now I'm lying too…

"I bet you that's why she can't see me anymore, she helped him get out and now they're on the run together,"

"I don't think she'd do something like that," I replied immediately.

"How do you know? You know as much about her as I do," Harry reasoned. "Things that you thought you were sure of keep changing. I wasn't supposed to come here for the summer was I?"

"Well just because not everything is going the way I thought it would doesn't mean that I can't properly judge a person on my own," I replied, doing my best not to snap at him. "Everything will be fine this year, Harry, don't worry so much," I turned back to my essay and wrote a messy little conclusion before gathering everything up and heading back to the castle. "C'mon, if I let you stay out here by yourself my dad would kill me,"

"Your dad doesn't give a damn about me," Harry answered, though there was a small smile on his face.

I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not; he's not as bad as we all made him out to be. Where did you stay last night anyway?"

"Dumbledore convinced him to let me have the guest room. At least for last night,"

"I doubt you'll get lucky enough for two nights." I replied, shaking my head.

"Probably not. Hold on a second," he reached out and grabbed a strand of my hair. "When did you dye your hair blue?"

"Oh...that was a potions accident. At the beginning of the summer. Snape is still looking for a way to get rid of it. Bothers him for some reason. I really couldn't care less," I replied. After years of not having a cover story for anything, I decided it was best to start making them up.

That's the end of chapter 2! I hope you all enjoyed it! I will update with number 3 ASAP! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!

:-D