Chapter 1: To Live a Dream

"A plausible impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility"

Aristotle

She walked through the long, dark, winding corridor of somewhere she swore she'd never seen before. There was no sound other than her own shallow breathing in the darkness but she was sure there was someone behind her. She turned around, letting out an involuntary shudder as she did so. She took a step back; she did not know where she was or who this partially shrouded figure was, it was clearly a man, he had broad shoulders and appeared to be wearing a cape. The figure stepped forward so that he stood fully in line with the window. The moon light illuminated him. She saw his dark hair, his pale skin, she looked into his eyes and for one fleeting moment she was sure that she had seen them before. He moved towards her.

She woke up, gasping. It was only a dream. She turned over in her warm, soft bed and readjusted the covers. Soon she was lulled back into sleep by the meows of a cat and the soft hooting of a solitary owl.

"Ella, what are you doing?" The dark haired girl was startled. She had been deep in thought. Suddenly she realised why her teacher had shouted. She was holding the test tube at a precarious angle and some of the acid had dripped onto the oak desk. "Sorry Miss" she spluttered as she reached for a cloth.

"Ella, this is most unlike you!" True, it was most unlike her; Gabriella Andrews had always had a natural talent for Chemistry. It was the dream, she had been haunted by that man's eyes ever since and this had ruined her concentration. She shook herself. She had told her parents about the dream and they had been sympathetic yet realistic, it was only a dream. She was being silly. It could not possibly be real.

After clearing up after herself, Ella returned to her experiment. "What's the matter Ella?" the girl cringed and tensed herself up ready for the inevitable. "Usually you're a proper little teachers pet. They treat you like they're your own parents." She bit her lip. "Oh sorry, I forgot, poor little Ella has no parents." It was true Ella's real mother and father died when she was a baby, Mr and Mrs Andrews had adopted her. "Though, judging by the way you look, they probably killed themselves in shame!" The speaker, a short, slim girl with far more money than sense turned up her nose at having gained the upper hand.

This was the last straw. "How dare you talk about my parents like that!"

"Why ever not?"

Ella, who had been staring hard at the desk, let her gaze wander to the now partially empty test tube.

"After all", said the pompous git, "if they were anything like you, they're probably better off dead."

There was an ear splitting crack. The test tube had smashed.

Professor Snape sat in his office with his head in his hands. He had not slept well. He knew her from somewhere, the girl in his dream, he was sure of it. He recognised her eyes more than anything; they were the eyes of someone he had known a long time ago. Alas, it was only a dream, he would never see her again; he killed her. Snape hit the oak desk with his fist. Why had she died, she had done nothing wrong, he should have killed him instead. After all, it was him that Voldemort had been looking for. The thought nearly reduced him to tears; after all, it was not only her who had died that night.

He got up. He was not in the mood for teaching. In filed his class of fifth year students one of whom was Harry Potter. Snape cringed when he saw Potter; he was only too aware of what that boy might have seen had he stayed longer inside the Pensieve earlier that year.

Halfway through his lesson on 'truth potions' Professor McGonagall burst in. Snape deeply disapproved of interruptions to his teaching and screwed up his face in dislike. "Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you Severus" McGonagall whispered. Usually he would have never left a class alone but McGonagall's manner suggested that this was important. "Read page 329 and write down the names of the roots and their properties" said Snape to his class as he left.

As he entered Dumbledore's office something unexpected happened. The old wizard walked towards him and held tightly onto his shoulder. "Do sit down Severus; I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you."