The castle was cold and empty, I was alone as usual, I preferred it that way, alone in the dark and dingy dungeon, where I was free from the chaos of the upper floors of this school. I had just finished brewing a dangerously harmful poison when tiny and old Professor Filtwick waddled into the room.

"Severus, you'll never guess what Hagrid has just told me!" He gasped for breath, his face was the colour of a rose-ripe apple, and he was his smile stretched from one eye to the other, "He told me that Harry Potter is coming to school this year!"

At the word "Potter" he had my attention. A boy, only of sixteen years old, with messy black hair, throwing and catching a snitch, shouting things at a group of girls nearby. In that group of girls, was one most beautiful, with long, flowing red hair that matched her perfect pale face. He smile could light up a whole room, could make a lonely, grumpy boy find love…

"No," I told myself firmly in my head, "She's dead, you made sure of that, anyway she's a mudblood,"

"Erm... Severus," Flitwick asked, looking up at me, he had an expression of curiosity on his face, and his head was cocked slightly to one side, "are you quite all right?"

"I'm fine, just hungry" I paused and listened to the pounding footsteps and giggling of the students, now pouring into what was once a still and quiet castle, "I think the feast will start soon, we'd better go up."

"Right, After you Severus" Squeaked Flitwick holding open the door for me and I swept out, and he followed, sprinting to keep up with me because of his minute size.

Just as I had expected, the hall was swarming with students. From the second years, looking relieved that this year they didn't have to come by boat, to the seventh years, who looked positively bored, as if this old routine had worn out long ago.

I pushed a few Hufflepuffs roughly out of my way as I made to walk up to my seat, where Dumbledore was already seated, he nodded in my direction when he saw me and I nodded back. Then I saw the new defence against the dark arts Professor Quirrell, he shifted in his seat, took out a ragged cloth and wiped sweat off the part of his forehead which wasn't covered by the turban he wore.

I took my seat, then first years trooped in, lead, by Minerva McGonagall. I spotted him at once, he was walking beside yet another Weasley, as if the twins weren't enough trouble, Harry Potter, the spitting image of his arrogant father, I instantly loathed him.

The sorting hat burst into song, I didn't pay any attention, though, it always did bore me, I only looked up when I heard the name "Malfoy" I was interested to see him, his father was a Death Eater, so I knew he would be in my house. The sorting hat had made its' decision as soon as it was placed on the pale boy's head. I clapped for the first time that evening.

I looked up again when Potter's name was called. He took longer, much longer, the entire hall had started whispering when his name was called out, but they had fallen silent, waiting for the hat to announce it's decision, to see which house would be the lucky one, to get famous Harry Potter.

"Gryffindor" Yelled the hat.

Gryffindor table exploded with noise, girls screeched with delight, and boys jumped up with yell of "Yes!", they all stood up, clapping and cheering, the Weasley twins shouted "We got Potter" over and over again. Minerva looked over-joyed and Dumbledore was also smiling intently at Potter.

The only two Professors that were not clapping were myself, and Quirrell. I thought that everyone would want to show their love of famous Potter?

I watched Potter chat with his friend Weasley, and when he looked up I met his eyes for a fraction of a second. They were a bright and brilliant shade of vivid dark green, they brought back the thought of the beautiful red-haired girl…

"No, you idiot" I said in my head "She's dead. Dead as a doornail, six-feet under, gone."