Deveraux's School for Magical Beings

Chapter Ten

~Severus Snape~

The possessive hold on the newborn didn't change even as Harry's form shimmered and his glamours lowered, exposing his newest changes. However, I noticed that the scales had receded from where they had covered his hands and arms.

The girl, Freya, seemed to sigh almost, as if she felt bad that Harry had been pushed to lower his glamours, but Atlas seemed to look Harry over before he questioned, "You're a dragonette, aren't you? Or at least half...I see your pointed ears, and I do feel a kinship with you. You're sure you're fae?"

Harry nodded and reported, "I took an inheritance test, and I had the headmaster of the school for Magical Beings confirm that I am both Fae and Dragonette."

Atlas hesitated, his eyes still moving between his newborn sister and Harry, before finally he sighed and muttered, "Alright, you can hold her. Any of them, but if you hurt them or mistreat them...I'll hurt you. I don't know how, but I will."

Freya let out a soft chuckle and giggled, "Atlas, you're one of the nicest people, I doubt you'd hurt Harry. Harry, I'm sure, won't mistreat the girls. Besides, by the sounds, you'll be with them."

Harry nodded, "I would never separate you from your siblings, Atlas. I don't have any siblings. I wish I did, but my parents died before I could. Siblings...Siblings are something that should always be cherished."

Atlas seemed to soften slightly, almost reaching out as if to comfort Harry. I had to admit, I had a similar urge. Hearing him talk about the family he could have had but lost because of Voldemort... That was painful. What I hadn't told him, what only select few knew, was that Harry had almost had a little sibling. Lily had been pregnant with her second child, what would have been my godchild, when she had been murdered.

Atlas motioned for Harry to follow him and stated, "I'll bring you to Emilia's room. Freya's right, we're worried about her. She hasn't eaten in almost three days, or drank anything. Freya and some of the others were going to have to force her soon. Maybe you can help."

Harry hesitated for a moment before he set the baby down in the crib, gently nuzzling her before he stepped back and began to follow Atlas and Freya. We followed him down the hall, and once the door opened a small voice stammered, "Go-go away! I-I-I don't want to see anyone!"

Harry stepped by them into the room and stated, "Emilia? It's Harry, Harry Potter. I-I heard what happened to you and I came to check on you."

A small dark head lifted out of the covers, and a small voice stated, "Why do you care? You were a Gryffindor."

Harry sat down on the edge of the bed and stated, "Yes, I was a Gryffindor, however, that was before I became one of the inherited. Now-now I'm just Harry Potter, a dragonette faerie. I want to take care of you, Emilia. You don't deserve what your family did to you-"

"Yes I do! I-I didn't mean to turn him to stone but he touched me! He touched me where-where Blaise said no one is supposed to touch me!" Emilia's voice shook as she spoke.

Almost immediately, I connected the dots-someone, probably one of her whore mother's boyfriends, had tried taking the daughter, and had triggered her inheritance...And died as a consequence. Harry wrapped her in his arms, "You did not deserve this, Emilia, nor did you deserve what that man was trying to do to you. Emilia, love, what happened to your eyes??"

Harry pulled back slightly, and as he did I was able to see the burn marks around the girls eyes, and almost immediately I swept over, gently turning the girls face towards me. I whispered, "Who did this to you, Emilia? Whom do I murder?"

At the sound of my voice, she turned and all but leapt into my arms, whispering, "It was Mother, sir. I...I hurt Grandfather. He touched me...Down there, and then he-he turned to stone. There was this hissing, my hair...They were snakes. Blaise pushed the s-statue off me, and then Mother she-she tossed something in my face. It burned...I couldn't see. I haven't-I haven't been able to see since then. She-she said that I was a monster, and that I was no daughter of hers. Blaise...He tried to help me. He tried to stop her...She locked him in the basement. She brought me here..."

I gently hushed her and whispered, "I will kill her for this, Emilia. She has gone too far. I will free you and your brother from her grasp."
She sobbed into my shoulder, and Harry gently patted her on the back. Freya looked near to tears, having finally heard what happened to the newest member of their family.
Harry cleared his throat and spoke softly, "I'm assuming I need to fill out paperwork so I'm going to go with the others and fill it out."