A face from his past
Chapter 1
September first dawned cloudy and gray. Albus
Dumbledore pushed himself away from his desk and
straightened his robes. It wouldn't do for him to be
late greeting his new Defense Against the Dark Arts
teacher. As he walked through the deserted halls of
Hogwarts, he thought back to the last time he had seen
the newest member of his staff. It had been almost 15
years, and he wondered how she and her son had
changed. As he entered the Great Hall he looked toward
the staff table, searching for the potions master,
Severus Snape. He walked over to the table, looking
around to see if anyone else would hear him and said,
"I would like a word with you Severus. It is very
important." He turned toward the door at the end of
the staff table. He entered the room and sat down in
one of the squashy arm chairs that was sitting in
front of the fire.
A few minutes later he was joined by Snape.
"What can I do for you, Albus?" he asked, sitting down
in the chair opposite of the headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled
out a small tin, "Sherbet Lemon Severus?" he asked.
"No thank you Albus." He answered. "I have something
to tell you, Severus. I have put it off too long." He
told the potions master, extracting a piece of candy
and popping it in his mouth. "I have hired a new
Defense teacher, and I am afraid that it might be a
little uncomfortable for you."
Snape looked up at the headmaster, "What do you mean,
uncomfortable Albus?" he asked.
"I have hired Belle Masters to take over the Defense
position." Albus told him.
The color drained from the potion master's face,
"Belle is going to be teaching here?" he asked.
The headmaster nodded his head, "And she has asked
that you be the one to meet her in Hogsmeade. She says
that she would like to speak to you before the
students arrive. It seems that she has something to
tell you, something that I had asked her not to tell
you until now." He looked over at Severus, "And for
that, I will apologize in advance. But at that time,
it seemed to be the best thing for all parties
concerned. I do hope that you will accept my apology
and forgive an old man for trying to protect all three
people concerned."
Snape stared at the headmaster, wondering just what
he could have done, that would require him to
apologize. "You can be sure that you have my
forgiveness, Albus." He said, rising from the chair
and heading for the door.
"Save that until you know what I have done Severus."
He waited in front of the Three Broomsticks for her to
appear. He was wondering what Albus could have done
that would require him to apologize. Suddenly she
apparated in front of him, "Severus, it has been a
long time. I have truly missed you." She said,
throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing his
cheek.
"Why would you want me to meet you, Belle?" he asked,
stepping back from her.
"We have a few things to talk about, Severus. The
first is why I disappeared from your life, and then I
have something to tell you that will change your
life." She told him, taking his hand and leading him
into the Three Broomsticks.
"So Albus sent you into hiding?" he asked, taking a
sip of his drink.
"Well, he wasn't just protecting me, he was protecting
our son. I was pregnant and he knew that you would
never forgive yourself if anything had happened to
him." She told him, reaching across to grasp his hand.
"I have a son?" he asked, looking pale.
"Yes Severus my love, and he will be sorted with the
first years tonight at the sorting feast. He's
starting his sixth year." She told him, "I am truly
sorry that you have missed so much of his life. But he
knows who you are, and he is looking forward to
meeting you after the feast tonight."
He lifted his head, and looked at her. "Belle, I don't
know what to say. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he
asked, "why didn't you come back to me long ago?"
She reached up and ran her fingers over his cheek. "I
was afraid that you wouldn't want me back, after all,
I left you to go into hiding. I thought more about
protecting our unborn child than staying with my
husband." She looked down at the table, "I'm sorry
Severus. I should have never left you."
~~~~~~~~~
He had been roaming around on the Hogwarts express
since it had left platform 9 ¾. Stephen Snape knew
that things were going to be very different here. He
had spent the first 16 years of his life in the United
States, had finished his first five years of school at
The Blue Ridge Academy, the finest school of
witchcraft and wizardry in North America. But now he
was on the Hogwarts express, headed for his first year
at the school that his parents had attended. He was
searching for an empty compartment, but found none. He
was opening the door of the final compartment when a
blonde boy approached him.
"I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm sure that it's just because
you're new that you're going into that compartment.
There are mudblood lovers and a mudblood in there. I'm
sure that you would be much happier sitting with us
pureblood wizards." He said all this, extending his
hand to the tall boy.
Stephen looked at the blonde boy, and sneered,
looking very much like his father. "I'm afraid that
you have made a large mistake. I personally don't
discriminate against anyone, pure blood or not." He
said, taking a step toward him as the door to the
compartment opened.
"I would suggest that you watch what you say, Mr.
Malfoy. I don't control my temper very well when I am
provoked." Four people emerged from the compartment,
"Some of my best friends are muggle born, so you had
better keep your opinion to yourself." He turned
around and saw the four occupants of the compartment
standing behind him with their wands out.
"Why don't you go back with your goons, Malfoy."
Hermione told him, she turned toward the tall dark
haired boy in front of her. "I'm Hermione Granger,
this is Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter.
Would you like to come into the compartment and sit
down?" she asked, pointing to each of her friends as
she introduced them. Malfoy turned and walked toward
the next car.
Stephen smiled, and entered the compartment with them.
He sat down next to Harry and extended his hand to
each of them, "I'm Stephen Snape, I'm a transfer
student from The Blue Ridge Academy."
All four of them stared at the dark haired boy seated
with them. "Are you related to the Potions Teacher at
Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.
Steven looked at each of them, "Why do I have the
feeling that if I say yes, you are going to dislike me
just for that?" he asked, looking to each of them.
"Well," Harry started, "We're not exactly his favorite
students." He told him, searching for a way to explain
it without offending their new school mate.
"We won't hold it against you if you are related."
Ginny assured him, "he just doesn't like us too much."
He glanced around at the four people seated around
him, "I guess that I should get it over with,
Professor Snape is my father." He told them. He looked
around again, at the shocked expressions on all of
their faces. "I've never met him, Headmaster
Dumbledore sent my mother into hiding before I was
born. She raised me herself, in the U.S."
They sat together talking until the train pulled into
the station. Stephen went to ride over with the first
years, while Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny headed for
the carriages that would take them to the school.
Chapter 1
September first dawned cloudy and gray. Albus
Dumbledore pushed himself away from his desk and
straightened his robes. It wouldn't do for him to be
late greeting his new Defense Against the Dark Arts
teacher. As he walked through the deserted halls of
Hogwarts, he thought back to the last time he had seen
the newest member of his staff. It had been almost 15
years, and he wondered how she and her son had
changed. As he entered the Great Hall he looked toward
the staff table, searching for the potions master,
Severus Snape. He walked over to the table, looking
around to see if anyone else would hear him and said,
"I would like a word with you Severus. It is very
important." He turned toward the door at the end of
the staff table. He entered the room and sat down in
one of the squashy arm chairs that was sitting in
front of the fire.
A few minutes later he was joined by Snape.
"What can I do for you, Albus?" he asked, sitting down
in the chair opposite of the headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled
out a small tin, "Sherbet Lemon Severus?" he asked.
"No thank you Albus." He answered. "I have something
to tell you, Severus. I have put it off too long." He
told the potions master, extracting a piece of candy
and popping it in his mouth. "I have hired a new
Defense teacher, and I am afraid that it might be a
little uncomfortable for you."
Snape looked up at the headmaster, "What do you mean,
uncomfortable Albus?" he asked.
"I have hired Belle Masters to take over the Defense
position." Albus told him.
The color drained from the potion master's face,
"Belle is going to be teaching here?" he asked.
The headmaster nodded his head, "And she has asked
that you be the one to meet her in Hogsmeade. She says
that she would like to speak to you before the
students arrive. It seems that she has something to
tell you, something that I had asked her not to tell
you until now." He looked over at Severus, "And for
that, I will apologize in advance. But at that time,
it seemed to be the best thing for all parties
concerned. I do hope that you will accept my apology
and forgive an old man for trying to protect all three
people concerned."
Snape stared at the headmaster, wondering just what
he could have done, that would require him to
apologize. "You can be sure that you have my
forgiveness, Albus." He said, rising from the chair
and heading for the door.
"Save that until you know what I have done Severus."
He waited in front of the Three Broomsticks for her to
appear. He was wondering what Albus could have done
that would require him to apologize. Suddenly she
apparated in front of him, "Severus, it has been a
long time. I have truly missed you." She said,
throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing his
cheek.
"Why would you want me to meet you, Belle?" he asked,
stepping back from her.
"We have a few things to talk about, Severus. The
first is why I disappeared from your life, and then I
have something to tell you that will change your
life." She told him, taking his hand and leading him
into the Three Broomsticks.
"So Albus sent you into hiding?" he asked, taking a
sip of his drink.
"Well, he wasn't just protecting me, he was protecting
our son. I was pregnant and he knew that you would
never forgive yourself if anything had happened to
him." She told him, reaching across to grasp his hand.
"I have a son?" he asked, looking pale.
"Yes Severus my love, and he will be sorted with the
first years tonight at the sorting feast. He's
starting his sixth year." She told him, "I am truly
sorry that you have missed so much of his life. But he
knows who you are, and he is looking forward to
meeting you after the feast tonight."
He lifted his head, and looked at her. "Belle, I don't
know what to say. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he
asked, "why didn't you come back to me long ago?"
She reached up and ran her fingers over his cheek. "I
was afraid that you wouldn't want me back, after all,
I left you to go into hiding. I thought more about
protecting our unborn child than staying with my
husband." She looked down at the table, "I'm sorry
Severus. I should have never left you."
~~~~~~~~~
He had been roaming around on the Hogwarts express
since it had left platform 9 ¾. Stephen Snape knew
that things were going to be very different here. He
had spent the first 16 years of his life in the United
States, had finished his first five years of school at
The Blue Ridge Academy, the finest school of
witchcraft and wizardry in North America. But now he
was on the Hogwarts express, headed for his first year
at the school that his parents had attended. He was
searching for an empty compartment, but found none. He
was opening the door of the final compartment when a
blonde boy approached him.
"I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm sure that it's just because
you're new that you're going into that compartment.
There are mudblood lovers and a mudblood in there. I'm
sure that you would be much happier sitting with us
pureblood wizards." He said all this, extending his
hand to the tall boy.
Stephen looked at the blonde boy, and sneered,
looking very much like his father. "I'm afraid that
you have made a large mistake. I personally don't
discriminate against anyone, pure blood or not." He
said, taking a step toward him as the door to the
compartment opened.
"I would suggest that you watch what you say, Mr.
Malfoy. I don't control my temper very well when I am
provoked." Four people emerged from the compartment,
"Some of my best friends are muggle born, so you had
better keep your opinion to yourself." He turned
around and saw the four occupants of the compartment
standing behind him with their wands out.
"Why don't you go back with your goons, Malfoy."
Hermione told him, she turned toward the tall dark
haired boy in front of her. "I'm Hermione Granger,
this is Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter.
Would you like to come into the compartment and sit
down?" she asked, pointing to each of her friends as
she introduced them. Malfoy turned and walked toward
the next car.
Stephen smiled, and entered the compartment with them.
He sat down next to Harry and extended his hand to
each of them, "I'm Stephen Snape, I'm a transfer
student from The Blue Ridge Academy."
All four of them stared at the dark haired boy seated
with them. "Are you related to the Potions Teacher at
Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.
Steven looked at each of them, "Why do I have the
feeling that if I say yes, you are going to dislike me
just for that?" he asked, looking to each of them.
"Well," Harry started, "We're not exactly his favorite
students." He told him, searching for a way to explain
it without offending their new school mate.
"We won't hold it against you if you are related."
Ginny assured him, "he just doesn't like us too much."
He glanced around at the four people seated around
him, "I guess that I should get it over with,
Professor Snape is my father." He told them. He looked
around again, at the shocked expressions on all of
their faces. "I've never met him, Headmaster
Dumbledore sent my mother into hiding before I was
born. She raised me herself, in the U.S."
They sat together talking until the train pulled into
the station. Stephen went to ride over with the first
years, while Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny headed for
the carriages that would take them to the school.