Harry felt his jaw drop as he heard Draco's words. The true killer was an unheard daughter of Severus Snape? How was that even possible? Snape had loved Harry's mother, Lily, all his life, and everyone knew he had never married anyone else. Harry had seen his memories in the Pensieve, and there was no sign of any other woman or child in his life."That's impossible," Harry said, shaking his head. "Snape only loved my mother. He never had a daughter. You're lying."Draco looked at him with a mix of anger and pity. He took a deep breath and said, "I wish I was, Potter. I wish I was. But I have proof. Proof that I saw with my own eyes. Proof that you can see for yourself."He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, silver device. It looked like a Muggle camera, but Harry knew it was a wizarding one. It could capture images and sounds of magical events, and play them back on demand."Look at this," Draco said, pressing a button. The device projected a hologram in front of them, showing a scene that Harry recognized. It was the Malfoy Manor, the ancestral home of the Malfoy family. The hologram showed Draco's father, Lucius, sitting at his desk in his study, surrounded by books and papers. He looked older and thinner than Harry remembered, but still had the same cold and arrogant expression on his face.Draco's voice narrated the scene. "This was the night of my father's murder. My wife and children were out, visiting my mother at St. Mungo's. She had been ill for a long time, and we didn't know how much longer she would live. I was at home, alone, waiting for them to return. That's when I heard it."The hologram showed Lucius suddenly clutching his chest and gasping for air. He fell off his chair and collapsed on the floor, writhing in pain. A dark cloud of smoke emerged from his mouth and nostrils, and then dissipated in the air. His eyes were wide open, but lifeless."A scream of agony," Draco continued. "I rushed down to his study, hoping to save him. But it was too late. He was already dead. And I saw someone leave the room through a dark portal, just as I arrived."The hologram showed a figure in a black cloak and hood, holding a wand in one hand and a small box in the other. The figure turned to look at Draco, and Harry saw a flash of eyes under the hood. Then the figure stepped into the portal and vanished."I was shocked and traumatized," Draco said, his voice breaking. "I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. My father, the head of the Malfoy family, the most powerful and influential wizard in Britain, was killed by a dark curse that left no trace. A curse that I had never seen or heard of before. A curse that only one person could have cast."He paused and looked at Harry with a solemn expression. "A curse that only Severus Snape could have cast."Harry felt a surge of anger and disbelief. He wanted to shout at Draco, to tell him he was wrong, to tell him that Snape was not a murderer, that he was a hero, that he had died for a noble cause. But he couldn't. He remembered the night when Snape had killed Dumbledore, the night when Harry had chased him and called him a coward, the night when Snape had revealed his true allegiance to Voldemort. Harry had hated him then, more than anyone else in the world. But he had also learned the truth later, the truth that Dumbledore had shared with him before his final battle with Voldemort. Snape had been a double agent, working for the Order of the Phoenix, protecting Harry, loving Lily. Snape had sacrificed everything for the greater good, even his own life.Harry couldn't reconcile the image of Snape he had in his mind with the image of the killer he had just seen. How could Snape have a daughter? How could Snape kill Lucius Malfoy? How could Snape be alive?"Potter, I know this is hard to accept, but you have to listen to me," Draco said, breaking the silence. "There's more. Much more. And it involves you."Harry looked at him with suspicion and curiosity. He didn't want to hear more, but he also couldn't ignore it. He had a feeling that this was somehow connected to the mysterious murders he had been investigating, the murders that had haunted his dreams and disturbed his peace. He had a feeling that this was somehow personal."What do you mean?" Harry asked, reluctantly.Draco nodded and continued. "After I saw the killer escape, I searched the room for any clues. I found this." He held up a broken piece of wand, with a dark and twisted core. "It was lying next to my father's body. I recognized it immediately. It belonged to the killer. And it was made from the same material as Snape's wand."Harry felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered Snape's wand, the one he had taken from him after he had killed him. It was a black wand, with a dragon heartstring core. It was a powerful and dangerous wand, one that Harry had never used. He had kept it as a trophy, a reminder of his victory over Snape and Voldemort. He had locked it in a safe in his office, where no one could touch it.But now, Draco was holding a piece of a wand that looked exactly like Snape's. How was that possible?"I don't understand," Harry said, confused. "How can there be two wands like that? How can you be sure it's the killer's?"Draco smirked and said, "Because I followed it. I used some of the illegal dark magic I had learned from my father, and I opened a portal that took me to the owner of the wand. I wanted to find the killer, and confront him. Or her."Harry felt a surge of fear and curiosity. He wondered what Draco had found, and what he had done. He wondered if he was telling the truth, or if he was part of a trap. He wondered if he should trust him, or not."Where did you go?" Harry asked, cautiously.Draco's smirk faded, and he said, "To Spinner's End. The place where Snape used to live. The place where he died."Harry felt a shock of recognition. He remembered Spinner's End, the shabby and grimy street where Snape had grown up. He had been there once, with Dumbledore, when they had gone to recruit Horace Slughorn. He had seen Snape's house, the one with the boarded-up windows and the overgrown garden. He had felt a pang of pity for Snape, for the miserable life he had led.But now, Draco was telling him that he had gone there, and that he had found something. Something that had to do with Snape's daughter."What did you find?" Harry asked, nervously.Draco's face darkened, and he said, "You won't believe me, Potter. You won't believe what I saw. But I have proof. I have a picture. Look at this."He pressed another button on his device, and a new hologram appeared. It showed a small, partly broken house, with a sign that read "Number 12, Spinner's End". The house looked abandoned and dilapidated, as if no one had lived there for years.Draco's voice narrated the scene. "I arrived at Spinner's End, and I searched for the killer. I found no one there, no sign of life. It was a deserted place, a ghost town. I was about to give up, when I noticed something. A faint light, coming from one of the houses. The house where Snape used to live."The hologram showed Draco approaching the house, cautiously. He tried the door, but it was locked. He used his wand to blast it open, and entered the house. He walked through the dark and dusty rooms, until he reached a door at the end of the corridor. He opened it, and gasped.The hologram showed a small and dirty room, with a single window and a fireplace. There was a bed in the corner, covered with a ragged blanket. There was a table in the middle, with a candle and a book. There was a chair in front of the fireplace, with a cloak and a hat. And there was a body on the floor, tied and concealed by a cloth.Draco walked towards the body, and used his wand to reveal it. He recoiled in horror, as he saw the face of the person. It was a man, with pale skin and black hair. He had a thin nose and a pointed chin. He had a scar on his forehead. His eyes were dull and lifeless. He looked like he had been tortured and starved for a long time. He looked like he was barely alive.Draco took out a small photograph from his pocket and handed it to Harry. Harry looked at it and felt a surge of pity and horror. It was a picture of a man, or what was left of him. He was thin and pale, with bruises and cuts all over his body. His eyes were wide with fear and pain, and his mouth was open in a silent scream. He looked like he had been tortured for a long time."Who is this?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice steady."This is the man I found in Spinner's End," Draco said. "He was the owner of the wand that killed my father. He was also the prisoner of the killer."Harry looked at Draco with disbelief. "What do you mean? How did you find him?"He had followed the trail to a shabby house in Spinner's End, the same place where Snape had lived. There, he had discovered a hidden basement, where he had found the man tied to a chair, covered with a cloak."I used a revealing charm to see his face," Draco said. "He was barely alive. He begged me to kill him, to end his suffering. He said he had been there for months, ever since the killer had captured him. He said the killer was a monster."Draco nodded. "But then he told me something that made me believe him. He said he knew Snape. He said he was one of his former students at Hogwarts. He said he was a Death Eater."Harry felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at the photograph again, trying to recognize the man. He had a vague memory of seeing him before, in one of Snape's memories that he had witnessed in the Pensieve. He was one of the young Slytherins who had followed Snape around, who had joined the Death Eaters with him. He was one of Snape's loyal followers, who had trusted him until the end."What was his name?" Harry asked.Draco looked at him with a grim expression. "His name was Evan Rosier. He was one of the last Death Eaters who escaped Azkaban after the war. He was also one of the first victims of Eileen Snape."Harry felt a surge of anger. He remembered Rosier. He was one of the Death Eaters who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, who had killed many of his friends and allies. He was one of the Death Eaters who had tried to kill him, who had almost succeeded. He was one of the Death Eaters who had deserved to rot in Azkaban, or worse."And you expect me to feel sorry for him?" Harry snapped. "He was a murderer, a traitor, a scum. He deserved what he got."Draco shook his head. "No, Harry. You don't understand. He was not the only one. Eileen Snape has been killing all the former Death Eaters, one by one. She has been hunting them down, torturing them, and leaving them to die. She has been using a dark curse that no one can trace, that no one can stop. She has been doing this for months, and no one knows why."Harry felt a pang of doubt. He wondered if Draco was telling the truth, or if he was part of a trap. He wondered if Eileen Snape really existed, or if she was a cover for someone else. He wondered if she was really a reformed Death Eater, or if she was a dangerous fanatic.He looked at Draco, trying to read his face. He saw fear, pain, and anger in his eyes. He saw a hint of desperation, and a trace of hope. He saw a man who had lost everything, who had nothing left to lose.He decided to give him a chance. He decided to listen to his story."Tell me more," Harry said. "Tell me how you found out about Eileen Snape. Tell me what she looks like. Tell me where she is."Draco nodded. He took a deep breath, and began to speak.He told Harry how he had interrogated Rosier, using a mixture of threats and promises. He told him how Rosier had described "A monster with chilly black eyes that could pierce through anyone but with a twisted smile and a cold voice". The description sounded just like Severus Snape. He told him how Rosier had said "a scar on her left cheek, a mark of birth".He told Harry how he had followed the clues that Rosier had given him, how he had searched for Eileen Snape's hideout. All those clues took him to one place, The Forbidden Forest.Harry was surprised and confused to hear those words. Why did that lead him to the Forbidden Forest?He told him how he had traced her to the Forbidden Forest, how he had entered the dark and dangerous woods, hoping to find her and stop her.Draco continued, "I was figuring my way carefully through the forest in search of the cottage. I thought I was safe, until I heard a rustle in the bushes. I turned around and saw a hooded figure emerge from the dark trees of the Forbidden Forest. She pointed her wand at me and muttered a curse. I barely dodged the jet of green light, feeling it singe my hair. I fought back with my own wand, casting spells and hexes. I managed to hit him in the face, making him recoil. She dropped something on the ground, a small box with a label. I snatched it and ran, hoping he wouldn't catch me. I looked at the box in my hand, curious and afraid. It said: Property of Eileen Snape. "He showed Harry the box, a thin metal case that looked like a cigarette holder. He tried to open it, but it had been protected by some strange Dark Magic.He explained, "These can be used as evidence, that they could be used to identify her and prove her guilt."He told Harry how he had escaped from the Forbidden Forest, how he had avoided the centaurs and the other creatures that lived there. After the war he had once befriended a young centaur, Krinese, who was now one of their guards. With his help, he escaped."Why are you hiding from everyone if you are not the culprit?", Harry asked."Because I am scared. Of her."He looked at Harry with terrified eyes or as it seemed to Harry. He listened to Draco's story, feeling a mix of emotions. He felt curiosity, confusion, and suspicion. He felt sympathy, pity, and guilt. He felt anger, fear, and hatred.He looked at Draco, trying to make a decision. He wondered if he should trust him, or doubt him. He wondered if he should help him, or reject him. He wondered if he should join him, or fight him.He was about to say something, when he heard a noise. A faint sound, like a whisper. A melody, like a song.He turned his head, trying to locate the source. He saw a flash of light, a glint of metal. He saw a shape, a silhouette. He saw a person, a woman.She was standing behind a tree, a few meters away from them. She was wearing a long translucent robe, with her back towards him, hiding her face. She was singing, softly and sweetly.Harry felt a strange sensation, a pull in his chest. He felt a curiosity, a fascination. He felt a desire, a temptation.He wanted to see her face. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to know her name.He took a step towards her, forgetting about Draco. He followed the song, like a moth to a flame. He walked towards the woman, like a lamb to a slaughter.Harry felt a strange pull towards the source of the song, as if it was hypnotizing him. He ignored Draco's protests and followed the sound, which seemed to come from a dark corner of the forest. He drew his wand and cautiously approached the spot, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious singer.But as soon as he reached the place, the song stopped abruptly. Harry felt a sudden pain in his back, as if someone had stabbed him with a knife. He gasped and turned around, only to see a hooded figure pointing a wand at him. The figure was wearing a black cloak that covered his or her face and body, making it impossible to identify them.Harry reacted quickly and fired a stunning spell at the attacker, but the figure dodged it with ease. The figure then cast a curse that Harry barely managed to block with a shield charm. The two dueled for a few seconds, exchanging spells and curses, but Harry could not get a clear shot at the figure. The figure seemed to be very skilled and agile.Harry dodged the curse and cast a disarming spell, hoping to knock the wand out of the figure's hand. But the figure was faster and blocked the spell with a counter-curse. The figure then said, "You're pathetic, Potter. You think you're a hero, but you're nothing but a pawn. You don't even know who you're fighting against. You don't even know who you are."Harry felt confused and frustrated by the figure's taunts. He wondered what the figure was talking about. Who was he fighting against? Who was he? He knew he was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the famous auror. He knew his identity, his history, his destiny. He knew who he was.But before he could say anything, the figure cast a powerful blast of magic that sent Harry flying backwards. Harry hit a tree and fell to the ground, feeling dizzy and weak. He tried to get up, but the figure was already gone. Harry looked around, but he could not see any trace of the attacker. He wondered where the figure had gone, and why he or she had spared him.Harry then remembered Draco, and ran back to where he had left him. He hoped that Draco was still there, and that he was not harmed by the attacker. He wanted to ask Draco more questions. Harry felt a surge of panic and confusion.But when he reached the spot, he found no sign of Draco. He wondered what Draco meant by his words, and who was Eileen Snape. He wondered what secrets she knew, and what plan she had. He wondered who she was, and what she wanted.----#----He apparated to his house in Godric's Hollow, where he was greeted by his wife Ginny and his son James. They looked worried and relieved to see him."Harry, where have you been? We've been trying to contact you for hours. There's been another murder," Ginny said, approaching him."Another murder? Who was it?" Harry asked, feeling a chill in his spine."It was Theodore Nott. He was found dead in his home, with the same curse as the others. The Ministry is in chaos. They have no clue who's behind this," Ginny said, shaking her head."Theodore Nott? He was a Death Eater, wasn't he?" Harry asked, remembering the Slytherin boy from his school days."Yes, he was. He was also Draco's friend. Do you think he had anything to do with this?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry with suspicion.Harry hesitated. He didn't want to tell Ginny about his meeting with Draco, or the shocking revelation he had made. He didn't know if he could trust Draco, or if he was telling the truth. He also didn't want to worry Ginny more than she already was. He decided to lie.He wished he could believe his own words. Ginny moved ahead opening her arms a little but Harry shuddered. She stopped. It was not new. Things had been like this lately or maybe for a few years by now. She could see it in his eyes. Those distant, cold, tired eyes. She could do nothing but accept her fate now. She grabs James by his arm and without any word pulls her out but not very roughly.Harry then went to the living room, where he found Hermione and Ron waiting for him. They had come to visit him, and to discuss the case. They looked at him with anticipation and anxiety.Harry was sitting on the couch in the living room of his house, his head in his hands. He had just told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened in the meeting with Draco. He expected them to be shocked and curious, but instead they looked skeptical and doubtful."Harry, are you sure you're not being fooled by Draco?" Hermione asked, her voice gentle but firm. "He could be lying to you, or working with someone else. He could have killed his own father, or hired someone to do it. He could have planted that box and that picture to make you believe his story."Harry shook his head. "No, Hermione, I don't think so. He seemed sincere, and scared. He was almost crying when he told me about his father's death. And he showed me the broken wand, and the portal. He even let me keep the box. Why would he do that if he was lying?""Maybe he wanted you to trust him, so he could trap you later," Ron suggested, his face grim. "Maybe he's working with this Eileen Snape, or whoever she is. Maybe she's not even Snape's daughter, maybe she's just using his name to scare people. Maybe she's the one who attacked you in the forest."Harry frowned. "But why would she do that? Why would she kill all those former Death Eaters? What's her motive?""Maybe she's a fanatic, Harry. Maybe she thinks she's doing the right thing, by avenging her father. Maybe she hates everyone who was loyal to Voldemort, or who betrayed him. Maybe she hates you, too, for killing him."Harry felt a surge of anger. "That's ridiculous, Ron. I didn't kill Voldemort, I destroyed his Horcruxes. He killed himself, when his own curse backfired. And Snape wasn't loyal to him, he was loyal to Dumbledore. He was on our side, remember?"Ron shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't know that, Harry. Maybe she only knows what she was told, or what she read in the papers. Maybe she's been brainwashed, or manipulated, by someone else. Maybe she's not even sane, Harry. Maybe she's a lunatic."Harry sighed. He knew his friends were only trying to help, but they were not making him feel any better. They were only making him more confused and conflicted. He wanted to believe Draco, he wanted to find out the truth about Eileen Snape, he wanted to stop her from killing anyone else. But he also wanted to be careful, he wanted to be smart, he wanted to be safe. He didn't know who to trust, or what to do.He looked at the box that Draco had given him. It was small and thin, made of wood, with a metal lock. On the lid, in elegant handwriting, it said: Property of Eileen Snape. Harry wondered what was inside, and if it could help him solve the mystery. He reached for his wand, and muttered: "Alohomora."The lock clicked, and the box opened. It was strange as he used the same magic but the box didn't open the last time.Harry gasped, as he saw what was inside. It was a photograph, a moving photograph, of a young woman. She had long black hair, pale skin, and a slender face. She was wearing a black cloak, and holding a wand. She looked familiar, very familiar. Someone Harry knew very well. Someone he had seen in the mirror of Erised, many years ago. Someone he had loved, and lost.She looked like his mother, Lily Potter.