Ascension

‘SLYTHERIN’ For a moment, his heart stopped. Never, had he considered his muggle-raised daughter to have been sorted in the house of snakes. He had thought with Dumbledore’s meddling, that his daughter, like many muggleborns before her, would have been swayed into Gryffindor, or at least Ravenclaw. His hand on impulse, clenched at the thought of Dumbledore.

Minevra and Severus had turned sharply to look at Dumbledore; he was smiling, leaning forward into his chair. Both Minevra and Severus had been called to his office and were told all about who he suspected to be Harry Potter’s missing sister, something Severus had worked so hard to prevent.

Severus was well aware of what the old man had planned. Severus had no intention of letting his daughter be used by the man, and had furiously argued against Dumbledore, claiming he had no proof. Dumbledore had only sat there, his eyes twinkling in a grandfather-like way which had irritated Severus to no end.

Severus was well aware Hermione was attending Hogwarts this year, even though she was ten, thanks to Dumbledore’s interference. She had been advanced in her class, therefore had skipped a grade meaning she was younger than the rest of her peers.

Dumbledore would have never allowed a muggleborn to attend Hogwarts at age ten. The man was no means the saint that everyone seemed to proclaim he was. He could be as bigoted as Lucius Malfoy himself. No, there was another reason why Dumbledore had allowed his daughter to attend Hogwarts at age ten. A plan that he had been dreading. Dumbledore suspected that Hermione was Calliope, and had wanted her to befriend Potter.

The night that Voldemort had gone to kill the Potters was still an unknown mystery to all. Severus himself, who had been the first person to arrive, was still unsure of what had happened. The only two that were found alive in the wreckage were Harry and Calliope Potter. Severus remembered the devastation he had felt when he had found Lily sprawled on the floor in front of the bassinet, green eyes wide open.

Harry Potter, the one that Voldemort had been after, and Calliope, Harry’s younger sister that had been found next to him were both sitting there, green eyes wide when he had entered the room. Whether it had been Lily or Calliope’s protection that night that had saved Harry Potter’s life, Dumbledore intended to use both of the Potter siblings as pawns in whatever game he wanted to play.

There was one small detail that Severus would take to the grave, something that was a major flaw in Dumbledore’s plan. Calliope Potter was not a Potter at all, and was instead a Snape. On New Year’s, Lily Potter had done the unthinkable and cheated on her husband in a desperate attempt to convince Severus to switch sides. Calliope Potter had been born nine months later, and was passed off as James and Lily Potter's daughter.

Severus would never forget the letter Lily had sent him after Calliope’s birth. Severus had been devastated at the news of the second Potter child, and was drinking himself into a stupor when the letter had arrived. He had recognised Lily’s owl immediately, and tore open the letter as fast as possible without ripping the letter.

Severus,
I know my life will be forfeit, especially with the rumour of the prophecy floating around. I want you to know that Calliope Luna Potter is your daughter. I ask that you forgive my mistakes, as well as your own and take care of her. While James may trust Dumbledore explicitly, I do not want my children to grow up as pawns in his game. This secret has been entrusted to Moony only. I agree that Padfoot would not react well, and I know of your complex history with the man.
Take care of my Calla,
Lily

Calliope Luna Potter. He had seethed for a couple of days at not being told sooner. That his chance at becoming a father had been ruined, all because of Potter. Potter would be the father to his daughter if they all survived this war. The man who had made his childhood a nightmare would raise his child. The irony was not at all lost on him.

Then came the guilt. The Potters were in hiding from Voldemort, because of a prophecy he had delivered. He had inadvertently put his own daughter in danger because he had been eager to please his lord. Even if he didn’t know about his daughter’s birth until a couple days ago, it wracked him with guilt.

So when he had first seen his daughter after he realised Voldemort had gone to the Potters, he was mesmerised. Even though he was pained to see the love of his life and her husband’s body dead, he was enchanted by his little daughter. She already looked just like Lily; it would’ve been impossible to guess that she was his daughter.

He took his daughter away, but not before he ran into Black. Black insisted on taking both Harry and Calliope with him, as he was their godfather. Severus simply responded that he was fulfilling Lily’s wishes, before apparating to Malfoy Manor. He still could remember the first and only time he saw Narcissa Malfoy née Black disconcerted. He had apparated into the sunroom where Narcissa had conveniently been watering her plants alone. He had refused to wallow in grief, not when he had a baby in his care.

Narcissa had helped him find the perfect family. To forge documents, both magical and muggle and remove any trace of Calliope Potter. Instead, Hermione Granger was born, glamoured to have bushy brown hair with plain brown eyes. Leaving the baby was the hardest thing Severus had had to do in a long time. In such a short amount of time, he was already attached to his daughter, and leaving her to grow up and call others her parents was something he didn’t want to sacrifice. One day, when the truth came out, he wondered briefly whether she would forgive him.
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He had thought that his daughter would have been in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but this changed everything. He could protect her without it seeming too strange, as he would be her Head of House. If she had been in any other class, he would’ve only been her teacher, and he would have been forced to watch his daughter play in Dumbledore’s machinations.

The only concern he had now was Harry Potter. He was aware the boy had gone to Petunia, but Severus had been unable to fulfil Lily’s request and protect Harry Potter. The wards Dumbledore had set prevented any of those who had the Dark Mark to be able to enter the house. While Severus could have gone the muggle route and had Harry Potter taken out of the abusive household, Dumbledore had kept a close eye on the boy and prevented any form of CPS to even get close to the house.

Severus was aware that his daughter had sat with Harry Potter on the train, as well as Ronald Weasley. If Ronald Weasley was anything like his mother, he would make it difficult for Hermione and Harry to have any friendship. The boy was bigoted in his own way; instead of blood prejudice, he, like his mother, was prejudiced based on house. No doubt acting on Dumbledore’s order.

Looking over at his daughter, seated a mere couple of feet away from him was absolute torture. She was shunned by the house, only starting a conversation with Miss Greengrass and Mr. Zabini. Severus was aware that Narcissa had asked the boy to be open minded, but the way Draco was sneering at Hermione, it seemed Lucius had gotten through to the boy. As dinner finally came to a close, Severus had yet to take a sigh of relief when Dumbledore started talking.

‘Ahem,’ Dumbledore said, as the tables started to clear. ‘Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone
interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell
you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who
does not wish to die a very painful death.’

Minevra choked on the last sentence, her eyes narrowing on Dumbledore. Severus quite shared the feeling. Telling children that a corridor was forbidden would only attract the students there, and Severus had no doubt that this was his intention. He and Minevra shared a fleeting look that said it all; the two of them were going to have to reason with Dumbledore.