The Potions Master's Daughter

The Birth of a Star

One December 27, 1977, a beautiful girl with black hair from Severus and emerald eyes from Lily was born. Her godfather was to be Remus Lupin, who was the only one Lily had ever told about Sadie to. He understood, knowing how much both Severus and James meant to her. Her godmother was a completely unaware Alice soon-to-be Longbottom.

Madam Pomfrey cleaned her off before handing her to Lily, who gave her a kiss on her forehead and cradled her in her arms, crying softly. Minerva sat in a chair beside Lily's bed, watching the mother daughter duo interact with each other. Lily just sat there for about an hour before giving her daughter one last kiss and handing her to Minerva. The little girl reached towards her mother, starting to cry. The redhead took one hand and gently placed her lips on the back of it. All three women were tearing up.

"Her name will be Sadie Eileen Evans, just so Severus won't be suspicious," Lily told Minerva, knowing full well that Severus was planning on taking a job at Hogwarts in the future. Minerva nodded, gently taking the child's hand away from her mother's. She looked up at the woman with a sort of wonder in her eyes and reached up towards Minerva. Minerva took her hand lightly.

"Now, now," she told her softly. "Say goodbye to your mummy, Kitten. You might not be seeing her again for a very long time." The two took one last look at Lily, who was beginning to sob, and then strode off to Minerva's quarters. What none of them knew was that Sadie would never be seeing her mother ever again. At least, not alive.

...............

Minerva raised Sadie as her own, all the while planning to tell her why she was not with her parents when she was old enough. Sadie would sit quietly in the classroom at her own tiny desk next to her new mother and just doodle on random pieces of paper so as not to distract the working students. She was raised not to talk back to Minerva or any other adult, to do what she was told when she was told, and that she was to be humble and stay out of trouble. She also knew that she could not get everything she wanted.

When Sadie was just three years old, Minerva received grave news. James and Lily were dead at the hands of He Who Must Not Be Named, and Harry Potter, Sadie's one year old brother, was to be relocated, a task for which Minerva was required to help with. She left Sadie in the care of Pomona Sprout, her childhood best friend, and went to spy on the Dursley's house.

That night, when Albus Dumbledore was setting Harry Potter on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive, she broke down sobbing in front of Hagrid and Dumbledore.

"What is wrong, Minerva? It's not as if we are saying goodbye forever," Albus pointed out.

"No, it's not that. Lily's second born should not stay here with these...these people. Oh, they don't even deserve to be called that!" Minerva cried, burying her face in her hands.

Albus frowned. "What do you mean? Harry is her first, and only child."

Minerva shook her head. "She has another. She asked me not to tell anyone. She hoped to meet the child again one day. The child has been staying in my guest room since the winter break after Lily's graduation. I'm sorry I had to keep such an important detail from you, Albus, but the father of this child, we could not risk it of. He works at the castle as of last year as potions master."

Albus's eyes went wide as he processed the information. "Severus!" Albus mouthed. Minerva nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, abandoning her usual proprietary.

"He is in no state to take care of a child," Minerva added. She took a deep breath. "I must return to the child. Pomona can only keep her for so long. The poor girl has separation anxiety, even at three years old. It didn't start until about two weeks ago when I went away for three days for that witches convention in Bulgaria. I suppose it's because she was separated from her real mother at such a young age," she told Albus before apparating away, leaving the man lost beyond words.