It was a hot September day as a young girl with long black hair got ready for another year at the pristine school of Hogwarts. She sighed as she remembered the day she got her acceptance letter and now it seemed a distant memory. As much as she enjoyed casting spells or making potions, the thrill had long since gone. Unknown to her parents, the young girl dreamed of something more. She wanted sword-fighting and quests, high elves and mythical creatures, something more than just her ordinary life. Just then, a knock came on her bedroom door and without looking at it she wandlessly opened the door. She didn't need to see who was in her door way to know it was her father checking in on her.

"Selena, your mother and I want to speak to you before you go." replied her father in his usual snarky, sarcastic way.

"Don't you always, sir?" answered Selena, rolling her eyes and grabbing her packed bag before turning to face what would soon become her professor.

"Don't be smart with me, Miss Snape. I may be your father but, I still demand some respect." snapped her father, dressed in his usual black teaching robes.

"Yes, sir." muttered Selena as she followed the black robes out of her room and down the stairs towards the kitchen. As usual her mother was cooking breakfast and singing a muggle melody as she went.

"Morning, Selena. Your breakfast will be ready shortly, so while we wait, I thought we go over some things." informed the girl's mother. While her mother had red hair and emerald green eyes, the young teen had black hair and a sort of royal blue colored pair of eyes. She was also taller than her mother, but still contained her mother's loving, forgiving side.

"Sure, mum." smiled Selena, setting her bag down and taking a seat at the table as her father came sweeping into the room looking as moody as ever.

"Your father and I were thinking that since this is your second last year of Hogwarts and your 17, you might like spend the holidays at the house with a few of your friends." suggested the older witch, glancing at her husband who was reading the Daily Prophet.

"What do you mean?" asked Selena, curiously.

"We feel we've been putting too much pressure and think you'd benefit some time with your friends. Therefore, your father and I will be going to a Potion Convention in Canada and will be spending the holidays there. We'll still have Christmas with you, but we'll be leaving the next day." said her mother, placing a plate of eggs and bacon on her plate.

"Seriously?" asked Selena, excitedly as she looked between her mother and father who hadn't taken his eyes off the newspaper.

"Just as long as your grades don't slip and you behave yourself. You know how I feel about your grades." muttered the Potion Master, sternly, folding the newspaper up and turning to look at his daughter. "If I hear from one of your other teachers that your misbehaving you can forget about the trip. And stay away from the Potter brat. I mean it."

"But why?" snapped Selena irritably, showing over her father's temper. "Harry's not that bad a guy if you'd only give him a chance."

"I'm your father and that brat is on his way to getting himself killed. I won't have you follow in his footsteps." argued the stern, professor giving her his trade-mark glare.

"But, father I'm seventeen now. I can take care of myself. I've helped Harry take down a basilisk and Dementors. I even helped him the Ministry of Magic, so wh-" retorted the young adult only to be cut off by her father as he stood him angrily, knocking over his chair.

"YOU WERE AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC!" exclaimed Severus as he strode over to his daughter so he was standing in front of her.

"Yes, and it was the best fun I've had since I've been at Hogwarts. Something you'd never understand because you just sit in your office and complain about students."

"Miss. Snape," replied Professor Snape, darkly. "Go to your room now."

Selana stared at her father before turning to her mother who had tears in her eyes.

"Selena," started her mother, putting her hand on her husband's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "I knew his parents well and even though I think your father's still holding too much of a pity grudge. He's right about you being in danger and I'm disappointed in you. You could have been hurt. What's worse is you could have been seen by some of your father's past colleagues. Please, just go to your room."

Selena nodded dejectedly and began eating her plate of food, which had gone cold during her argument with her father. There was no use arguing with her father on that subject any more than she had already. After eating half of her cold breakfast she excused herself and headed back upstairs. It wasn't fair that her father continued to overprotect her. It was never about the 'boy wonder' himself. It was that he was allowed to go on exciting adventures, fighting evil creatures and people. If her mother hadn't pushed to let her go to Hogwarts, she wouldn't have gone. Her father never let her have any adventure, something which she loved reading in her books. She swiped at a tear that had fallen and pulled open one of her favourite books, 'The Lord of The Rings'. She had just opened the book to the first chapter when she felt her body get squeezed through a tube. She screamed and then all was dark as she passed out. When she opened her eyes, she almost screamed again when she saw a hideous creature looking at her. After reading LOTR for the 6th time, she didn't need it to see that she was in trouble. Standing in front of her was a big, greasy, ugly looking orc.