"Extra lessons with Snape?" Ron asked incredulously when she told them.

"Dumbledore wants you to stop having those dreams," Hermione said.

"I'd take the nightmares!" Ron said.

Megan had sat down beside Cedric on Harry's bed.

"No, you wouldn't," Megan said. "I certainly could do without, trust me. You don't know what these dreams, or whatever they are, feel like... it's awful. I don't like being stuck with Snape, but if it can help me keep Voldemort from possessing me if he wants to so he can make me do stuff..."

"But what's that got to do with your nightmares?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, but he and Dumbledore seem to think there's a connection." Megan said, leaning into Cedric's shoulder.

"Well, I guess Snape will explain more on Monday," Hermione said. "I can't believe you spoke to him like that, though, Megan!"

"He did start it!" Megan defended herself. "You should have heard him! It was like watching Malfoy and Ron go at it! And he already hates me as much as is humanly possible, probably even more. There's nothing in the world that'll change that."

Cedric was frowning.

"But I wonder... Dumbledore's a great wizard, and he knows you, probably better than most people... and he doesn't hate you like Snape... why would he not teach you...?"

"... Probably doesn't want to be around me. He won't even look at me, remember?" Megan said bitterly. "Why it has to be Snape..."

"Maybe he thought Snape would be fairer, you know, less indulgent." Hermione suggested. "He might have thought you'd push yourself more with him."

"Fairer?" Ron scoffed. "Hermione, when have you ever seen Snape be fair whenever it concerned Megan? Or anyone who's not a Slytherin, for that matter?"

"Well, he's not going to fail her on purpose, Dumbledore would notice," Hermione said reasonably.

"Yeah, but he's definitely not going to make it easy on her, either." Harry replied.

"Well, he already does that in Potions, so it's nothing new, really." Megan said with a shrug.

"I'd offer you some advice, but I don't know much about Occlumency," Cedric said apologetically. "I think you counter it a bit like the Imperius Curse, with mind power. So, since you can do that pretty well, maybe it won't be so hard..."

He wrapped his arm around her.

"I'll just have to see when it comes." Megan said. "What bugs me more is that it's officially Remedial Potions... like people don't have enough to laugh at me about..."

Later, Megan went down to check she hadn't left any of her things lying around, and spotted Sirius in the room with his family tree.

"... Sirius? You okay?"

She stepped inside. He was glancing at the wall.

"... I always was a bit short tempered, your mother used to tell me all the time." he said. "She even had doubts about making me your godfather because of it."

"... I bet Dad convinced her." Megan said, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, he did, actually." he smiled slightly. "Swore I'd never hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't. Snape was just provoking you. Malfoy does the same with me all the time..."

Sirius looked at her.

"I see them so much in you..." he said. "Perhaps a little too much, sometimes... But you are so very much alike..."

"... I'm not so sure..." Megan said, looking away and turning to the window. "... I saw the attack from the snake's view, not as an exterior witness... and then, after, in Dumbledore's office... there was a moment, when I couldn't think of anything but attacking him... and another part of me was struggling against that but it was so strong, so virulent... I... I almost couldn't hold it..."

Sirius watched her silently. She hesitated a second, then finally let it out.

"What if that's because... This connection I have with Voldemort... what if the reason for it, is that I'm... becoming more like him? ... I just feel so angry, sometimes... and I'm always on edge, I say things that I would never say... I feel these bursts of blind fury... It doesn't feel like me, but I can't help it... I don't know where it comes from, how to stop it..."

There was a pause. She turned round to look at him.

"What if... after all I went through... something's gone wrong inside me?" she asked worriedly. "And...what if I'm becoming more like Voldemort...? Sirius, what if I'm becoming bad?"

Sirius touched his hands to her face.

"Listen to me carefully, Megan Jennifer Potter." he said, looking into her eyes. "If I know anything, it is that you are not a bad person. You're a very good person. It's just that bad things have happened to you. You weren't given a chance to see how good you are. Besides, the world is far more complex than good people and Death Eaters. We all have light and dark inside us. What matters is which we choose to let out and act on. That, Megan, is who we really are. And if you ever need reminding..."

He pulled out a small package.

"Don't open it here," he said. "I don't think Molly would approve."

It was wrapped in brown paper

"It will give us a means to talk." he said, winking.

She put it in her pocket, but promised herself not to use it. She would not be the one who put Sirius in danger again.

"But I'll tell you one thing to show you why you're good. You're good because Voldemort is scared of you. That's why he's so intent on killing you."

"Scared of me?" Megan asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Of course, why else would he have gone to such lengths to get your blood and no one else's?" Sirius said. "Because he knew you still had Lily's protection, and that the only way to be sure to stand a chance against your light was to steal a bit of it for himself. And it has strengthened the connection that already exists between you through your scar."

There was a soft knock. Hermione peered in, looking uneasy.

"Sorry... I hate to interrupt... Mrs Weasley says dinner's ready."

"We'll be right there," Sirius said, before turning to Megan. "When all this is over, we can be a proper family." he said.

The small reflection of Megan showed her with fear shining in her eyes.

"Come here..."

He pulled her into his arms and Megan felt a little like a child, when they've fallen over or something scared them, and their parents give them a hug and that's enough to make any fear or pain go away.