A/N: Well, There isn't much I really can say here except to please please please, R/R!

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize, they are all Ms. Rowling's. I do own Ariana Snape though.

Summary and Rating: PG-13 for now it may go to R. This is the story of a girl who had just graduated Hogwarts, Ariana Snape. She was asked to write a column in the Daily Prophet, kind of like a memoir, about her life and finding out who she was and being pushed in the dark over and over again.

Niger Cygnus Chapter One Ariana Snape

I really don't know how I should start this column. It's not like someone asked me to write a simple article about the latest Quidditch game or the problems in the ministry. I was asked to write about my life, tell my story. At first I was apalled at the proposition, my past was hard enough as it is and now they wanted me to relive it as well as share it with the thousands of witches and wizards in the U.K. I turned them down at first. But, due to their constant nagging I agreed. I needed the money anyway now that I have just graduated. Maybe through writing this I'll understand why I was asked to share this story. I guess I'll just start from the time I was almost ten years old but I should give you some background information first. I lived at an orphanage for my whole life, an orphanage in Knightsbridge which was a province within muggle London (home of the famous department store, Harrod's, for you muggle borns). I wasn't liked there because strange things would happen around me. When a family was considering adopting me, Mrs. O'Reilly, the head of the orphanage would deter them away. On my tenth birthday I had enough of this. I was going straight up to Mrs. O'Reilly and demand to know who my parents were and why they left me here.

"Mrs. O'Reilly?" I asked, looking up at the middle aged woman. She looked at me and once realizing who I was she narrowed her eyes like I was a piece of rubbish you'd find on the streets of London.

"What do you want?" She spat at me in the harshest of tones. She never used such a tone around any of the other children, she just saved it especially for me. I looked straight into her eyes I was determined not to be intimidated by her, what could she do to me? I knew she was just scared of me. Again, the strange things that happen only around me.

"I wanted to know who my parents are." I said in the calmest of voices to her. I was sure not to show any emotions, but that wasn't really a problem, I grew very talented at masking my emotions. It was vital to my survival in this place. She laughed at me. I could feel anger rising inside of me. What was so funny? It's normal for a child to want to know where they come from. I knew I didn't belong in this world, there just had to be an alternate world.

"Why would I even bother telling you? Your parents didn't want you and that's all there is to it. Not that I could blame them of course, you just easy not to want. Besides, even if I wanted to tell you, I wouldn't have been able to, against the law until your of legal age." She said all of that in a mocking tone and I had enough of this woman. I wanted to Avada Kedavra her on the spot, if only I knew there was such a thing back then. I wasn't able to restrain myself any longer and I jumped on Mrs. O'Reilly and starting punching her in a blind fury. I figured I wouldn't have been able to hurt her considering I wasn't the strongest person. But the strange occurences that only happen around me took effect. Her face became all bruised and bloody as if someone had jumped her in the streets of the bad areas of New York City. I knew I was in for it now. She grabbed me by the arm and smacked me before throwing me in a little closet. This closet was known as the "punishment closet" by the children who lived there. It wasn't all that bad though. Some light was able to seep in through the cracks in the door, which there were quite a few. The door wasn't cut right, It was crooked which allowed greater amounts of light to enter.

As I was thinking in that closet about how I didn't fit in with everybody else a medium sized envelope slid under the door. I looked at it in puzzlement. I never received letters.....ever. I picked up the letter and tore it open desperate to see who it was from. Maybe it was my parents? Maybe they wanted me back? If only I had paid attention to the wax seal with the Hogwarts crest on it. I pulled out the parchment inside the envelope and began to read it eagerly.

Dear Miss Ariana Snape, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I stopped reading that piece of parchment there. I was a witch? I knew I was different and now I had an excuse for the strange things. I was also accepted to a school. I could leave here! I finished reading that page and went onto the next one, the page with the class descriptions and supplies. I skimmed through this section and once I got to the Potions I stopped. My mouth dropped open, I just couldn't help it. Professor Severus Snape. I had to be related to him, maybe he was my father? I never heard of another Snape before in my life. I just had to be related to this one. Maybe it was only one family, a long line of Snapes? How right I was. I was going to go to this school now. Just one problem. How would I obtain all of my supplies? I noticed another paper attached to the piece of parchment I was holding in my hand and looked at it curiously.

Ariana- We will be sending someone to get you on 29 August to take you to get your supplies. Don't worry about money everything has been taken care of. Professor Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

I thought about how much time it would be until I could leave. Well today was my birthday and it is 23 August so that meant I had six more days! Six more days until I'd be free. Six more days until I could find my family. Six more days until I would finally fit in.

That's all for this week. Please owl me with your thoughts on my little memoir here. Hopefully I'll find the benefit that will come from writing this article.





A/N: Thanks for reading. Again please R/R!! I'll get up the next chapter ASAP. Bye Bye all!