Disclaimer: I only own Sofi.
Chapter 1:
Nowhere to Return
Sofi woke herself up screaming. Again.
"Bloody hell, Cohen! Can't you go one night without waking us?!" Tracy Davis yelled.
"That's the seventh time in as many days!" Daphnee Greengrass complained.
"Can you at least sound human when you have a nightmare? You sound like a bloody banshee!" Pansy Parkinson snarked.
Sofi buried her head in her hands and tried to control her breathing. 'Why can't I stop having these night terrors? It's been three years!'
Bulstrode glared at Sofi. "I swear, I'd think you were a freaking Mudblood, if it weren't for the fact that you're in Slytherin!"
Sofi's head snapped up at those words. Even as she clutched at her Star of David necklace, Sofi's grey-green eyes narrowed dangerously as she spoke in a disturbingly calm voice that was eerily reminiscent of their head of house. "Not that there's nothing wrong with muggles and muggle-borns, but I am most definitely a pureblood. In fact, I'm quite sure that my blood is cleaner than yours."
Parkinson's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in anger, "Good night, Banshee!" And with that she lay back down on her bed and pointedly turned away from Sofi.
Bulstrode cracked her knuckles threateningly and growled out, "You better watch your step Banshee," before she too went back to bed.
"Sof–"
"Just go back to sleep Davis. I don't need to hear your excuses," Sofi said quietly.
"Fine," came the terse reply.
Several minutes later the sound of soft breathing in between Bulstrode's snores filled the room, indicating that the other girls had gone back to sleep while Sofi continued to lie awake. She glanced at the alarm clock and nearly groaned aloud when she found that it was nearly two in the morning. 'Great. About three and a half hours of sleep, and I have double potions tomorrow. That'll be fun!' Sofi sighed quietly and got up and dressed for the rest of the day. She knew that there was no way that she'd be able to go back to sleep so she decided to do something useful instead.
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Severus Snape strode down the dungeon corridor towards his classroom. He honestly hoped that this first-year group was better than the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw class he had, although he doubted it. After all, Ravenclaw usually got all the intelligent ones. Not to mention, Potter was in this class.
As he arrived at the classroom, he heard jeering over the general chatter of the students. 'Damn. It's starting already,' he thought bitterly. However, what he saw surprised him.
Instead of seeing the houses at each other's throats with Potter in the lead, he observed all the Slytherins and three of the Gryffindor girls grouping around and jeering at a single Slytherin girl. Potter, much to Severus' surprise, seemed rather uncomfortable with what was happening.
The young Slytherin victim looked like she hadn't slept in a week. Despite the obvious lack of sleep, her stance was of one who was poised to attack. It was a stance he knew well from his own days as a student. He frowned when he couldn't remember the girl's name. "Enough!" he hissed. Silence fell. Striding over to the door, he flung it open and ground out, "Get. In."
The students silently filed into the classroom and took their seats. Severus closed the door sharply behind him before proceeding to stalk to the front of the room. He snatched up the class list from his desk and began to take role call.
"When your name is called you will raise your hand silently. Miss Blume. Miss Brown. Miss Bulstrode. Miss Cohen. Mr. Crabbe. Miss Davis. Mr. Finnigan. Mr. Goyle. Miss Granger. Miss Greengrass. Mr. Longbottom. Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Nott. Miss Parkinson. Miss Patil… Mr. Potter... our new celebrity… Mr. Thomas. Mr. Weasley. Mr. Zabini." [1]
After setting down the role of parchment Severus proceeded to make the start of term speech that he always used for his first years:
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he said, his voice barley louder than a whisper. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death –– if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."[2]
Severus surveyed his class and noted that most of the students, particularly the Gryffindors, looked extremely uncomfortable. Severus allowed himself to smirk. That is until he noticed the oddly familiar look of amusement on Miss Cohen's face as she sat in the back by herself.
'And here I thought that she was a weak one!' Severus scoffed internally.
Narrowing his eyes, Severus called out, "Miss Cohen! Where would you find a bezoar?"
Miss Granger's hand shot up in the air despite the fact that he, the professor, had specifically asked someone else to answer.
"I would find a bezoar in the stomach of a goat, if you looked in the wild. However, I would guess that I could find one in the class storeroom," Miss Cohen promptly responded, albeit quietly.
Severus managed to keep the surprise off is face, but only just. "And what exactly is a bezoar?" Severus asked in a much calmer manner than the first time. He was annoyed to see that Miss Granger's hand was up and quivering in anticipation again.
Miss Cohen's eyes flicked towards the bushy haired girl and narrowed ever so slightly before she answered, "It's a magical stone that can cure most basic poisonings, sir."
"Five points to Slytherin, Miss Cohen," Severus said. Suddenly, he whipped around to face Potter, his robes billowing dramatically behind him. "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" [3]
"I don't know, sir," the brat responded. [4]
Severus sneered, "Tut, tut –– fame clearly isn't everything." [5]
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Miss Cohen's eyes narrow and her lips press together in yet another seemingly familiar sign of disapproval. Severus felt a twinge or guilt but quickly pushed it aside in favor of taunting Potter.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" [6]
'Damn it, Granger! I asked Potter, not you!' Severus thought as Granger stood up from her chair her hand all but flailing through the air in an attempt to garner his attention.
"I don't know," Potter said quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" [7]
'Why, the nerve of that little shite!'
"Sit down, you silly girl," Severus snapped at Miss Granger. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. Monkshood and wolfsbane? They are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" [8]
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter." [9]
After lecturing the class for an hour, Severus bade them to work on their first potion, a simple burn salve. By the end of class, everyone had finished, well everyone except Miss Cohen and Mr. Longbottom.
Longbottom had ended up in the hospital wing from adding ingredients in the wrong order and melting his cauldron, which Severus used as an excuse to humiliate Potter and deduct points from Gryffindor. Miss Cohen's potion simply baffled him. It was incomplete and also ruined, but he couldn't tell how she went wrong. In fact, she seemed to have done everything right so far.
"Bottle your samples and bring them to me." When that was done he continued, "I expect a role and a half of parchment to be handed in next Thursday on the properties and preparation of the ingredients of the burn salve. Dismissed."
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Sofi felt terrible. Even without Parkinson and Bulstrode telling everyone that she was a banshee, Sofi would have felt this way. She had barely gotten three quarters of the way through her potion because it seemed that the directions she read slipped from her brain faster than water going over the Niagara Falls. She had nearly cut herself as well. To make matters worse, she lost ten points in Transfiguration for "not paying attention." The truth was that she was just too tired to take notes, so instead she just listened. Apparently, Professor McGonagall thought that she was daydreaming. Now her dorm mates were even angrier with her.
Walking up to bare stretch of wall that was the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Sofi softly stated, "Parseltongue." The sight that greeted her eyes upon entering the room was one that made her want to cry. In between the two doors leading to the boy and girl dormitories were her upturned trunk and any belongings that hadn't been inside.
She rushed over to her things and picked everything up as quickly as possible. Once done, she began to try and drag her trunk up the girl's staircase, much to the amusement of those in the common room.
"Oy, Cohen! Are you a pureblood or what?!" a seventh-year boy called out.
Sofi ignored him and the laughter and continued with her efforts. However, when she placed her foot just over the threshold, she and her trunk were thrown back five feet, her trunk breaking apart upon impact.
Laughter filled the room while Sofi shook her hair to hide her flaming face. She took out her wand and repaired the trunk. Just as she picked herself up from the floor, Bulstrode came lumbering out of the girl's dormitory with a huge grin on her face.
"Like the improvement Banshee? Now we won't have to worry about your screeching," she exclaimed to the delight of the others in the room.
'Fine. I can deal with this,' Sofi thought. Outwardly ignoring Bulstrode, Sofi intoned, "Wingardium Leviosa," causing her trunk to hover a few inches off the ground. After depositing her things in a small alcove Sofi left the common room with her head held high.
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Making her way towards the owlery to send her first letter to Jethro and Kippur, Sofi thought back to her conversation with the Headmaster.
After the Fat Friar gave her directions and the password (Blood Pops) to the Headmaster's office, Sofi knocked on the office door.
"Come in, Miss Cohen!" she heard.
'How did he know it was me?' Sofi wondered as she entered. It wasn't until she closed the door that she took in the room. 'Wow,' she thought.
"Sit down, sit down," Headmaster Dumbledore cheerfully said.
Eyes darting around nervously, Sofi carefully sat down in one of the garishly colored cushioned chairs.
"So you've been warded out of the girl's dormitory?" the Headmaster asked.
Sofi's eyes widened almost comically, "H- How-"
Dumbledore chuckled softly at Sofi's reaction. "Suffice it to say, I have my ways."
Sofi nodded dumbly. She remembered Tziporah saying that the Headmaster liked to pretend to be omnipotent and benevolent so people will overlook his rather shady past and his ulterior motives.
"Perhaps one day, you'll figure it out, you're a smart girl, after all," the Headmaster said fondly, much to Sofi's confusion.
"If you say so, Headmaster."
"Now," Headmaster Dumbledore said, "I will gladly take the wards down and ensure that new ones can't be put up against you, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until Monday, when everyone is in class."
Sofi furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why? Couldn't you do it tomorrow, or even tonight?"
"I could, but it wouldn't do for your fellow students to see me there doing so, would it?"
"Why- Oh! Yeah, I suppose they would see it as a weakness for me to be running to the Headmaster."
"Don't forget that I'm a 'Muggle-Loving Fool' and a 'Barmy Old Codger' too!" Dumbledore said cheerily, causing Sofi to smile. "I'm aware that life as a Slytherin can be difficult during these times, and I'd rather not damage your reputation."
"Thank you, Headmaster. I really appreciate your consideration."
"Of course, dear girl," the Headmaster said. "Now run along, it's almost time for curfew."
Sofi smiled and stood, saying, "Thank you again, Headmaster," and left.
As she pondered the conversation now, she couldn't help but wonder why he would sound so fond of her. Realizing that she had reached the owlery, Sofi called her owl, Liyliyth, down and tied on her letter. Soon Sofi was watching as Liyliyth winged her way into the sunset.
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It was nearing six thirty as Severus made his way towards the owlery. Upon reaching the top of the tower, Severus' large and sensitive nose was hit with the smell of dust, bird droppings, and decaying feathers. Entering the large circular room Severus noticed the worst, well certainly not the worst, but definitely the slowest, potion's student he had ever encountered.
'Why isn't she in the common room?' Severus wondered with a scowl. "Miss Cohen!"
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Sofi jumped and spun around to face the threat that came up behind her. Nearly two years of intensive self defense training had her pulling a dagger into her hand and assuming a defensive stance without thinking.
A second later her brain caught up to her and her eyes widened in horror when she realized that she had nearly knifed her head of house.
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Severus was so surprised at the girl's reaction that he instinctively took a step back. It was good thing too. Miss Cohen had begun to react as soon as the 'M' in 'Miss' had left his mouth. She had been a blur of motion and the blade in her right hand was directly where his stomach had been not even a half a second before.
'That is not a normal reaction for an eleven old!'
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Sofi's first thought was, 'How the hell did I not notice him approaching me from behind me!' This was quickly followed by, 'Damn, I had forgotten that he's a spy.'
Her second thought was, 'Shit. Jethro's gonna kill me when he finds out about this.'
Sofi's third thought was, 'My dagger's going to be confiscated!'
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Severus waited nearly a whole minute for the girl to explain herself, before he realized that she still hadn't relaxed her fighting stance and wasn't likely to speak anytime soon.
Severus slowly reached out and gently grasped her wrist and pushed it down. This action brought the girl back to reality.
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Sofi blinked at the contact. Suddenly aware that she was still wound up tight, she relaxed her muscles and changed her stance to the military 'at ease' position. When Professor Snape let go her wrist she quickly put the dagger back into its holster and then set her face to be an emotionless mask as she prepared to be interrogated.
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Seeing her closed off expression, Severus quickly came to a decision. Ignoring the fact that this little girl had nearly gutted him, he asked, "What are you doing up here? You should be in the common room."
Miss Cohen raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. "I was sending a letter to my guardians. I was about to leave when you startled me."
'Startled? That's a bit of an understatement.'
"I see. Get back to your common room Miss Cohen."
"Yes sir."
"Oh… and Miss Cohen?"
"Yes sir?"
"If you need to talk about anything, come to my office."
"Yes sir."
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'Jewish Muggle Bitch! You and your family deserve this!'
Sofi's eyes widened when she saw the tattoo on the man's arm just before it collided with the side of her head. It was the terrifying image of a swastika. Underneath were the words, Reines Blut ist Perfektion.
Smack! Sofi fell to her knees as a crowbar collided with the back her knees. A cruel arm held her in place with a choke hold while a hand roughly tugged on her hair, forcing Sofi's face towards the door.
The tattooed man left, then came back dragging her mother through the door.
'Sofi! Sofi!'
'Mommy!'
'Please let us go! We've done nothing to you!'
Smack! Sofi screamed as her mother's head jerked with the force of the slap.
'On your knees, muggle whore!'
Sofi's mother dropped to her knees and looked up at the man standing over her. 'Do what you want with me, but let my children go!'
'Shut up! Swine like you are to obey, not talk! Hands on your head!'
The girl's mother obeyed as the tattooed man walked behind her.
Bang!
'Nooo! Imah!'
The chokehold tightened, cutting off airflow for a few seconds.
Sofi watched as her father and then her brother were both executed as they pled for Sofi's life.
'Your turn.'
The tattooed man then aimed his strange stick-like gun at her stomach.
'Please! Please don't!'
Bang! Sofi felt the bullet rip through her stomach. All she felt was pain. She barely heard the loud pops as the murderers simply disappeared into thin air.
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The Saturday morning post arrived just as an exhausted Sofi began piling eggs and toast onto her plate. After sleeping on a common room couch for the few hours that she was able to, Sofi was ready to be back in a bed; she ached all over! She knew that Dumbledore would take down the wards on Monday during classes, but she was feeling rather impatient.
Sofi looked up eagerly, hoping for a response from Jethro and Tziporah. Even though she didn't outwardly show it, Sofi was ecstatic when she spotted Liyliyth winging its way towards her.
However, once her owl landed in front of her and stuck out her leg, Sofi felt as if a block of lead had settled in her stomach. Attached to Liyliyth's leg, was not the scroll of parchment that she had expected, but an envelope with a seal that contained the letters, M.O.M.
After offering Liyliyth a piece of toast, Sofi detached the envelope. Liyliyth took off, her wing clipping Sofi's shoulder, seemingly an indication that she was upset with her owner. With trembling hands, Sofi opened the missive and read:
Dear Miss Sofi Arbor Cohen,
It has come to our attention that you have attempted to
correspond with an individual or a group that is listed on
the Roster of Terrorism (R.O.T.). If you attempt to contact
anyone that is part of such organizations at a later time, you
will be sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison.
Good day,
Madam Amelia Bones
Department of Magical Law Enforcement (D.M.L.E.)
[1] Pg. 136 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone US Hardcover edition. (Not mine.)
[2] Pgs. 136-7 of Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone US Hardcover edition. (Not mine.)
[3-5] Pg. 137 of Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone US Hardcover edition. (Not mine.)
[6-9] Pg. 138 of Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone US Hardcover edition. (Not mine.)
A/N: This story will be updated sporadically. Please review! It is really helpful and inspiring to get a review. Even something along the lines of "Good job" or "The story could be better" is helpful.
