Chapter One The Girl Next Door
Nine-year-old Petunia Evans was quite suspicious of the family that lived down the road. Awake at all hours, they were – with their dark old house, the garden of oddly-scented herbs, and the leaning chimney with its curling grey smoke. Very out of place, Petunia thought of the Snapes. Spinner's End had never known such a dysfunctional family. The woman, Eileen, seemed touched in the head; not only did she talk to her plants, but she always carried with her a long, smooth stick that she waved about at odd moments. Her husband, a drinker, had such a temper – Petunia often heard his bellowing tirades from her room.
Strange things always seemed to happen at the Snape house. Petunia could swear she had seen Eileen disappear on the spot, and it seemed the Snape's garden bloomed far earlier than anyone else's. The tragedy of the Snape family, so far as Petunia's mum was concerned, was the mistreatment of their little boy. Eight-year-old Severus (what kind of name was that? Petunia wondered) was always lurking behind trees and in the shadows of his yard, wearing too-small clothes and sporting black hair that looked as though it had never been cut. The boy was far too skinny and very pale; his dark eyes appeared to see things that other children could not see, so bright and keen were they. He was hardened and bitter beyond his years.
Petunia's mum had mentioned that Severus was regularly beaten by his father. His bruised skin and hunched shoulders told the entire neighborhood of his abuse. Eileen was too frightened for her own sanity to protect her son. Her own skin was bruised to such a degree that she wore long cloaks to cover it up. At least, that was what the Evans believed. Why else would anyone wear cloaks?
At age seven, Severus had taken to avoiding his parents as much as possible. He spent hour after hour outside, writing, drawing, and reading. He did not read children's books. Petunia always saw him with old, thick volumes that looked far too advanced for his age. Curiously enough he wrote on parchment – with a feather pen. Indeed, there was something very wrong with the Snape family … and Petunia Evans was determined to uncover their mystery.
On a blustery winter morning just before dawn, Petunia heard a strange noise coming from outside her window. Peering out into the dark below, Petunia stifled a scream. In the Snape's backyard, Eileen was tapping her rose bushes with a stick, muttering strange words under her breath. Each rose shuddered open in turn, spreading their petals with an unnatural speed. Shivering, Petunia crept to her little sister's room.
"Lily?" She whispered, carefully opening the heavy door.
"Lily, wake up!"
Lily was not in her bed, nor anywhere in the small room. Petunia grew frightened. Peeking out of Lily's window Petunia glimpsed a flash of red below: Lily's hair. Quiet as possible Petunia snuck downstairs and outside. She found Lily kneeling behind a tree, watching Eileen Snape with eager eyes.
"Lily! Come here – now!"
Petunia tried to keep her voice from breaking its whisper; the last thing she wanted was to alert the mad-woman next door of their presence. With a gasp, Eight-year-old Lily spun to face her sister.
"Shh, 'Tuney," she giggled, careful not to let Eileen hear, "look!"
Petunia nearly fainted when she turned her gaze to where Lily pointed. The Evans' Elder tree, which had been dead all winter, was slowly producing tiny green leaves. Lily was moving her hands slowly, apparently bidding the tree to bloom.
"How-" Petunia gasped, "how are you doing that?"
Lily shrugged. The more
that she focused on the Elder the more tiny shoots sprang
forth.
Petunia's face was white.
"You're touched in the head, Lily Evans – just like her!" Petunia whispered between clenched teeth, her eyes flicking back and forth from Lily to Eileen. A horrible thought entered Petunia's mind.
"What if somebody saw you?"
Lily appeared deeply hurt, and she turned to face her sister.
"Well don't worry, 'Tuney. It's dark. No one saw."
But Lily Evans could not have been more wrong. From his bedroom window, cloistered in shadows, little Severus Snape had witnessed the entire scene. He had never met another child who could "make things happen" the way he could. He had thought his mum was the only witch in the town, and he the only wizard. With this startling reveal of Lily Evans, Severus was determined to introduce himself … and, with any luck, make his first real friend.