Welcome to Life

Disclaimer: if I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't be writing about him on the internet, but I don't, so I do.

Warning HBP did not happen in this story! So Dumbles is not dead and Snape is not evil!

Chapter One: The Letter

Dearest Dumbledore,

If you are reading this now then today's date is August 1, 1997. We, that is James and I, don't know precisely how to explain this, we obviously have not survived up to this point in time or the Gringotts goblins would not have sent this letter, similarly the prophesy which Ms.Trelawney has given must be true and it was at Voldemort's hands that we have left this earth. But enough of this James tells me I am rambling, well to the point. As I am writing this I am seven months pregnant with my second child, which I'm sure will explain a lot of my recent behavior that you have been asking about, yes you sly old fox I know about your poking around and your questions, in any case James and I have thought long and hard about this and have decided to hide our little girl from the world, even from you.

Unfortunately too many people already know about Harry and we cannot hide him as well, we can only hope that both you and he will forgive us for hiding his sister for almost sixteen years. James recently found a spell that stops time for one person called Tempus Consto this spell is a less powerful form of the Sleeping Beauty charm and will cease on a specified date and time, in this case at midnight tonight. We have ordered a vault at Gringotts for our baby and have convinced the goblins to keep an eye on her. She will be in a type of stasis and will sleep until the spell awakens her, she will not age until then, and she will not need to eat or even really breathe for that matter, as much as it pains me to do this I know it must be done. Once she is awake she will grow at the rate of half a year everyday and will need to take a certain potion everyday until August 31.

Please Albus do not be mad at us for this we are trying the best we can to protect our child, I know that Harry will more than likely have a hard life without us and all I am trying to do is to spare our Rose that, that will be her name by the way, Rose Catherine Potter. I know that you may not be able to be her sole care giver so I ask that if you do place her under another's care I ask that you trust that person with your life and that that person have good potion making skills as the potion (which is on the next page) will need to be brewed almost constantly. So even though James still does not agree with me I want to recommend Severus Snape as a possible guardian for Rose, at least until she reaches the proper age. We know of Severus's work for the Order and he and I actually used to be very good friends. Even if he is not the guardian you choose please just promise you will take care of our baby, both of them.

Tonight when you go to Gringotts to get Rose simply ask for Blackgrip the goblin he will know what you are there for and he will take you to the right vault. Inside there will be a glass crypt on a dais that is where Rose will be. Near her will be enough money to see to her up bringing since we do not want to inconvenience her guardian. Thank you Albus and thank whoever her guardian is for us please.

Love and Gratitude,

Lily and James Potter

August 1st 1981

"Well Severus?"

Snape sighed he had wondered why the Headmaster had called him to his office so late, or rather so early as it was currently three o'clock in the morning. 'Well now you know' he thought to himself absently drinking the strong cup of tea he held. The Goblins had waited until the stroke of midnight to send that letter and Dumbledore had called Snape almost immediately after reading and understanding it.

"Well Severus what?" he grumbled he still could not believe what he had just read. Lily the only friend he had ever had, the one he had barely spoken to after she had married Potter, turns out to have a daughter whom she hid in a Gringotts vault under a stasis charm! And to top it off she and Potter wanted Him to care for her. Merlin he had a headache!

"Will you go with me to the vault at midnight to retrieve Rose Potter from the vault and will you become her guardian once she awakens?" Dumbledore was watching him carefully, the usual twinkle in is eye only a dull glimmer

He knew he should say no, he would never help out Potter but seeing Lily's hand writing asking for him to care for her child, going so far as to convince her husband that it was a good idea, well he might as well do something seeing as he was no longer of use as a spy, he winced thinking of how he had barely escaped with his life once he had been found out.

He sighed once more, "Fine I'll do it."

"Excellent my boy," the twinkle was back with a vengeance "you should go home and get Spinner's End ready…."

"No, Headmaster" Snape cut him off, "I'm sorry but I sold Spinner's End almost a year ago."

"Why Severus! Why haven't you said anything?"

"I was not aware that I had to report this to you" Snape said regain the sneer that he had lost since he picked up the letter. "However to satisfy your curiosity I have been staying at Snape Manor. In all actuality I thought it was rather obvious that I live there, the wards on that house rival those here at Hogwarts and with my recent drop in popularity among the more unsavory side of society I thought it best to go where they can not reach me."

"That's alright my boy. In fact it's better than alright, its prefect, all that space and grounds will help you to raise this rapidly growing girl. You can even teach her all the magical training she will need to enter Hogwart's for her sixth year..."

"Albus," Snape stopped him "we have not even seen the girl, she more than likely cannot even talk yet because according to the letter this baby…"

"Rose, Severus she does have a name"

"Very well then Rose was born sometime near the beginning of October, the same month the Potters died! And already you are planning for when she reaches her correct age of sixteen." He took a deep breath as he looked into Dumbledore's eyes. Snape didn't want to admit it to himself but he was already feeling slightly protective of his young charge. He regained his composure. "I will see you tonight then, Headmaster shall we meet at Gringotts at ten o' clock?"

Dumbledore nodded, he knew Severus was going through a difficult time right now seeing as he had just lost the role he had been playing for the Order. In fact Dumbledore knew that if the letter had come before that Severus would never have agreed to take charge of the young Potter girl. Before him was a man who had lost his identity and was grasping to find a purpose for his existence. This was the reason for his out of character decision.

"That is perfectly fine Severus I shall see you tomorrow, or rather tonight." Snape nodded curtly and turned to leave. "And Severus," Snape stopped but did not turn, "Don't worry it will all turn out alright"

At this Snape did turn and Dumbledore was surprised to see him smirking, "Of course it will," he said, "can you imagine Harry Potter's face when he finds out that I am the one who has raised his baby sister?" And with that Snape left, off to Snape Manor to catch some sleep and order the house elves to prepare for the new arrival.

Ok that's it my first chapter ever! Please review; tell me did you like it? Should I continue? Criticism is welcome. Toodles!