She never attracted many boys, and I never many girls...well, never any, to be truthful. The Snapes were the smart ones, the ones that were constantly seen with their noses in huge books, the ones who fainted if they got an A or below. To them, three thousand A++++s were the only way.
I got respectable grades, enough to make my teachers say that I was "at least half as good as his sister!" But my parents never said anything that even resembled praise to me. I said the wrong things, made the wrong friends, got the wrong grades, went to the wrong places, liked the wrong music, read the wrong books...the list could go on forever.
But everything seemed to veer sharply away from this unpleasantness when I had just started seventh grade. A letter came in the mail in very old and yellowed parchment, and in shiny, strange green ink at the top it read, "HOGWARTS - PLEASE RUSH," and below that was my name and address. I opened it in amazement, wondering who could have done this for me.
"What's that, Severus?" inquired my father.
"It's - it's - a letter of acceptance," I replied. "For high school."
"Too early for high school," he proclaimed, and smiled, looking pleased with himself. "And anyway, you're going the same way Carine is...Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and then straight onwards to MIT."
"But - but Dad...the best school in the country..."
"...is MIT."
"But just please look at this...it's Hogwarts...it's all the way near London...I could go to a gigantic city...how educational!!" I exclaimed, trying to get him excited. Carine, beside me, looked down her nose at my letter. I prayed she wouldn't say a thing - my parents would follow her wherever she went. My mother wisely kept out of this little scuffle.
"Hogwarts?" My father took on the Snape Frown, a family face that, well, looked as though everything around you smelled rather strongly of onions. He reached forward to grab at the envelope, and I handed him the letter from Professor Ari Delmondo about my acceptance into Hogwarts.
"It's a prank, Severus. Can't you weed out pranks when you see them??" my father began, and I knew we were off on one of those "you're wrong" arguments again. "School for Witchcraft and Wizardry," he scoffed condescendingly. "School for my behind, more like!!"
I knew it was over, although I was determined to go. This was the sort of thing I had been hoping for all my life, and I sure as hell wasn't going to pass it up!! But how was I going to go at this point? My entire family was now dead set against Hogwarts, and it wasn't like I could sneak out or anything - Carine was a very, very light sleeper. But in the end I decided that would have to be it - sneak out with all the money I had (I never bought anything, so I had a pretty good amount, even with my pitiful allowance), change it into wizard money, go to London, and try to figure out what the heck was going on. At least in London I could catch the train...if I could get to the platform. But I'd worry about that later.
Two days later, at 3AM in the morning, I put on every piece of clothing I owned (hey, it was cold outside) and snuck softly out of bed, grabbing my huge travel bag on the way. I was halfway down the steps when I tripped on a pen lying there, and tumbled down to the bottom before I could stop myself. I sat, breathing hard, knowing I could never get out now. Carine's head appeared at the top of the steps, but she wasn't wearing her usual Snape Frown.
"Severus..." she began, looking - oddly - concerned. "If you're going to that wizard school..."
I nodded slowly, wondering what was happening.
"Good luck," she whispered softly, and left, quietly, so as not to disturb my slumbering parents on the third floor. I grinned in spite of myself, something I didn't have much practice at, and hurried out the front door.
Once on the street, I started quickly towards the bus stop. Carine might have been playing a trick on me, and the sooner I could catch the bus, the harder it would be for them to find me. But as the bus pulled up and I looked briefly back, no lights were on. I shook my head in wonder and leaped aboard, grateful to be free at last and ready for the long journey to London, where the bus routes ended.
London was huge, bigger than any city I'd ever seen, and full of life. Jewelry shops, huge department stores, nice candy shops, button shops, grocers, meat sellers....anything but a wand store, or a wizard robes outfitter. I wondered where on earth I could purchase all this stuff. But just then I heard voices behind me, pleasant voices...
"Andrew, stop playing with your coat. Once we get your Hogwarts robes, you'll have some real clothes to..."
Hogwarts!! I quickly found the red-haired family of happy, excited young wizards - and their scolding parents. I followed them all the way to a bar with a crooked sign reading, "THE LEAKY CAU_DRON -" it looked as though the "L" had fallen off. Still, it was nice inside, and I sipped gratefully at a warm hot chocolate while I chatted with the friendly bartender, Tom. He told me everything I needed to know about going to Hogwarts - how to get to Diagon Alley, where to buy what there, how to get to Platform Nine And Three-Quarters, and which House I'd want to be Sorted into.
Now that was something that scared me. I didn't know whether I wanted to be in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin - Hufflepuff was definitely out. I wasn't a duffer!! But in the end, I decided Slytherin. They were probably all right there, just trying to make a good name for themselves out of all the bad "publicity." And I could help them. I would be the best student Hogwarts ever had, living up to no one!! And this time, Carine wasn't there to stop me.
I said goodbye to Tom and followed a witch into Diagon Alley, wondering what it was like. Everything I had imagined was far too dull for this amazing place. Staring, enthralled, I stepped into the sunlight and watched the bustling shoppers all around me. Cauldrons, owls, books, fantastic wands, real flying brooms, strange animals, all kinds of different smells and sights...it was absolutely incredible. It took me a minute for it all to seep in, and I laughed with joy in spite of myself.
Nearing the end of the block, I found what I had been looking for: the wizard bank. It was called Gringotts, or so the sign said, and it was an impressive place. There was a chilling rhyme by the door, and I shivered. I'd be mad to try and rob this place!!
I stepped inside the main room, looking at all the goblins hard at work. I slowly approached one and mumbled hello, and he didn't even look up. I walked up to the largest desk.
"Excuse me," I said timidly.
"What?" asked the main goblin. "Want to start an account?"
"Er, yes, I suppose...I've only Muggle money..." I stammered. The goblin looked shocked. "I want to change it, of course," I continued softly, and his expression lightened.
"Graynose!" he called, and another goblin, dressed in a magnificent gold and red velvet uniform, walked up.
"Change his old, dirty money to our good wizard money, and take him to open vault nine-hundred four. The new goblin beckoned to me, and I followed, a little scared but not as apprehensive as I had been when I first entered.
My Muggle "fortune" totaled to a very small pile of gold Galleons, a few groups of silver Sickles, and heaps of little bronze Knuts. I figured it would do for a few terms - and I also planned to get a summer job, maybe working at Hogwarts as an intern or something. I'd think about it when I got there. I gathered up what I figured would be good for my first year, and then left the bank, thanking Graynose. He grunted in reply - were goblins always this grouchy?? I couldn't help but think it might be neat to be one, though...all mysterious and scary.
Gringotts left my mind as I approached the stores with proper money in my hands and, using a restraint on myself because of my lack of money, decided to go down the list in order and see what I could do with the money I had left. Looking around, I noticed a huge clothing shop, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and figured I should try there first. I purchased my "three sets of plain work robes (black), one plain pointed hat (black) for day wear, one pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar), and one winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)," just like the list on the letter said. I wondered where I would get name tags, but they and a good pen came with the clothes I bought, so that was no problem. Now that I had my money, I planned to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron until school started.
Next, I spotted a huge bookstore, and read a big sign over it that said, "FLOURISH AND BLOTTS," in beautiful letters. I strolled in, wondering how I would find all my books. But I didn't have to wonder long....
"Hogwarts? What year?" asked a friendly clerk who had just seen me come in.
"Uh, I'm just starting," I replied, and he smiled.
"Good then...so you'll be needing The Standard Book of Spells, A History of Magic, Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, right??"
I gasped. He was good.
"Uh..yeah..."
"Here you go then!! Our Hogwarts first year book package, complete with a little surprise," he told me, and, smiling, he left. I peeked inside the fancy blue bag he had given me - it would be good for a schoolbag once I got to Hogwarts, that's one thing I didn't have to buy! - and to my surprise, I saw a small jar of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a big box of Chocolate Frogs. Wizard candy!! It was fascinating...but I didn't have time to eat. I paid for my remarkably cheap book package, and left, thanking everyone profusely. I was in awe.
I creeped inside the dimly-lit Ollivanders Wands minutes later, wondering at the dust and bizarre silence. A strange thin man stepped toward me, his silvery eyes shining eerily, and I shivered internally.
"Ah, yes. A new customer to the finest wand makers since 382 B.C. And your name would be...?"
I gulped. "Er, Severus Snape," I replied, timid again.
"Let's see how you fit with my wands," he nearly whispered. "Hold out your wand arm." I did, and soon, a little measuring tape was measuring - by itself - every aspect of me. It was slightly uncomfortable, but so was the entire shop, and I held still out of good sense. "Thank you," the man told the tape, and it dropped suddenly. He handed me a wand.
I swished it cleanly through the air, watching the sparks shoot out like fireworks, different colors and shapes. Mr. Ollivander - as I guessed he was - clapped in joy.
"I love it when I get a first guess right!!" he exclaimed. "Thirteen inches, mahogany, dragon heartstring. Flexible but tough. Very fitting."
He packaged it up for me and I left, relieved to get a breath of fresh air away from the dusty, purplish shop. I was, however, delighted with my wand and had to keep myself from opening it and ruining the packaging. I would wait until I was safe in my room to look over at what I'd bought and read up on those books - Magical Drafts and Potions looked rather interesting.
I checked my Hogwarts list again. Next stop - Carmine's Cauldrons. I shivered. Carmine was so much like Carine...I shuddered in horror and briskly strode up to the store, my own proud and cunning self again, not the timid, stupid little boy I had been acting like. Lost in thought about my days at Hogwarts, which I was determined to make wonderful beyond belief, I barely noticed as I finished my shopping at the Apothecary and cauldron shop and looked at the bottom of my list.
"Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad."
Hmm. Tom had told me that toads were out of style and I didn't like cats, so I figured an owl was the best way to go. And didn't he also say something about owls carrying mail?? Sounded interesting, so I opened the door to Eeylops Owl Emporium and emerged fifteen minutes later with a lovely brown owl tucked safely in a gold cage under my arm. After all that shopping, I had only a few Sickes and lots of tiny Knuts left. But I had a brand new world of possessions.
Disclaimer: All characters and places, plus the Hogwarts letter, book titles, store products, and anything else pertaining to Hogwarts, belongs to the great and glorious Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She rules!! ;)
A/N: Please review and tell me whether I should finish. I've always thought that Snape falling in love with Lily was indeed dramatic enough, but maybe not really what happened. NO offense to the people who have done those fics - you all did them splendidly, I just wanted to do my own original version. Do you like?? ;)