The chapter now has 1.404 words instead of 995.

Part 2

Only a few days later, it was time to return to Hogwarts. It was Katie's last school year.

At this point, no one could have guessed what the new school year would have in store for them all. A new teacher was there, though, Dolores Umbridge. And it quickly became clear that nothing good had come to Hogwarts with her.

The first detention Katie got left a lasting impression on the back of her hand. And not only on her. Students of almost every house suffered at the hands of Dolores Umbridge and her quill. However, the teachers at Hogwarts were powerless against Dolores Umbridge. Much to the despair of some.

Minerva McGonagall had to watch with a heavy heart as her Gryffindors suffered at the hands of Dolores Umbridge. And not even Albus Dumbledore could do anything against the first undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic.

But he didn't have time for that either.

Since Voldemort's return, Albus Dumbledore had been searching even more frantically for the child of the prophecy. There was nothing more important than finding the child before Voldemort did. He would not let anything or anyone stop him in his search.

"Minerva, we must have missed something. There must be another child," Albus said.

"That's impossible. We've looked through the school records carefully. Several times. We've located all the children born on the night of a magical storm."

Well, that was partly true.

They had checked all the children whose birth dates were evident from school records, but not all the dates were correct. To protect Katie, Minerva had given a false birth date. She only hoped that her lie would never be exposed. Minerva had always tried to stick close to the truth. The best lie was based on the truth.

To Albus and everyone else, Katie was the child of her son, Sebastian. He and his wife had died in a car accident.

Sebastian and Ellaria Bell had died in a car accident but they never had a child. And Sebastian had not been Minerva's son. She had no children. But that didn't stop her from taking care of Katie like a grandmother would.

And that included the evenings Katie and Minerva spent together, talking in her rooms at Hogwarts.

There was something that had been bothering Katie for a few days. She had a strange feeling, as if someone was watching her. Actually, she'd had it for a while, but in the last few days it had gotten worse.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind," Katie confessed.

"What gives you that idea?"

"I feel like there's something or the someone here. I can't describe it. It's a gut feeling, one that I usually only get when Percy or you are near me. But you're not even there at those moments, or so far away. It feels like someone is following me, watching me."

Minerva McGonagall guessed what Katie meant.

She had an idea who was watching Katie. In fact, he had been doing it for years - watching his daughter. Perhaps now was the time for Minerva to tell her the truth.

Katie was old enough to understand everything. Well, she already knew part of the truth - for a long time. There were things, however, that Minerva had never told her before.

Back then, when Minerva had left the shack with the baby in her arms, she had vowed that she would tell her the truth when the time was right.

"Katie, you are right."

"What do you mean?"

"I think, it is time for the rest of the truth. At least what I can tell you."

"You mean you're going to tell me who my parents really were?" asked Katie cautiously.

That was something Katie had always wanted to know. But she also understood that no one could know the truth.

When she had been old enough to understand, Minerva had had a serious talk with her. Katie had realized that if anyone learned the truth about the circumstances of her birth, she would be in danger. Minerva had given her a promise that when the time was right, she would learn her parents' name as well.

But only if Katie vowed not to tell anyone.

" So, you know that your parents were students here."

"Yes, and also when I was really born. Right after graduation."

"Your parents, I guess they weren't a couple as far as I know. Your mother was promised to another man and your father's heart was set on another woman. But somehow they found one another and you were born."

"But they were never meant to be happy?" asked Katie cautiously.

"You are their greatest happiness."

"And yet they gave me away."

"They had their reasons for that," Minerva replied.

It was hard for Minerva to tell Katie the story, of which she knew only parts. And she was also a little afraid to tell Katie the truth about her parents and what had happened back then. She didn't know how Katie would react when she found out who her parents were and what it would mean for her. Minerva would have preferred to remain silent. But she couldn't.

Katie had a right to know the truth. However, it was not up to Minerva to tell her the whole truth. There was someone who could explain everything to Katie. Someone who might have the answers to Katie's questions that Minerva herself could not give her.

"Talk to your father. He is here, at Hogwarts."

It took Katie a moment to realize the meaning of Minerva's words. Apparently, her father had been close to her all these years. In all those years when she had longed for her parents, or at least for one of them, to finally appear in her life, her father had been close. Her father was at Hogwarts and he was her teacher.

Katie had an inkling of who it might be. It could only be one person and his name was not Filius Flitwick.

"Then I am going to talk to him."

It felt unreal.

All these years she had wondered who or what her parents were. And yet, her father was one of her teachers here at Hogwarts. Year after year, she had sat in his classroom and listened to his words. Not knowing the important role he played in her life.

And now she knew the truth. Knew she was his daughter. Well, she suspected as much. Although, when she thought about it, she had the same black hair as he did. And her talent for potions, she had surely inherited that from him, her father. It was kind of strange to think of him as her father.

"Katie, when you talk to him, please remember that it hadn't been easy for your parents to give you up," Minerva pleaded. Katie's temperament was so similar to her father's.

Katie nodded and then left the room to make her way to her father.

But when she stood in front of his door, she was no longer so sure whether it was really a good idea. Well, maybe she should think about it for a while. But on the other hand, what was the use of waiting? She couldn't put it off forever. Not when she finally had a chance to get answers. And she would finally learn who her mother was.

Well, she was a Gryffindor. She was brave and she would confront him. She wanted answers, and for her to get them, she had to talk to him.

Katie took another deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and knocked on the door, the door to Severus Snape's private rooms.

It only took a moment and then the door was literally ripped open from the inside.

Professor Snape hated to be disturbed. And Katie could see it in his face.

"Tell me Miss Bell, what brings you here-" he began dangerously softly.

"We need to talk, Dad", Katie interrupted him in a fit of bravery

Only all those years as a spy kept him from letting his mask drop. Yes, he had heard correctly. Katie had called him Dad. So she knew who who really was. Which part he played in her life.

What exactly had Minerva told her? There was only one way to find out.

Wordlessly, he held the door open for Katie and motioned for her to enter.