Disclaimer- In no way is this story affiliated with J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros Studios. I do not own anything you recognise.
This story is also being posted on wattpad and Archive of Our Own, both with the name danabealesxo
Arabella groggily awoke in her dimly lit, lavender-coloured room early on a summer morning.
As she sat up in bed, her waist-length ginger hair tumbled over her shoulders and hung limply in front of her pale, freckled face. She stretched her arms high above her head, exhaling with satisfaction at the familiar clicks and crunches of her shoulder joints as she did so.
Her bedroom lit up as sunlight was starting to seep through the cracks in the drawn curtains. Faint sounds of birds and the rustling of trees could be heard as a sickly sweet scent wafted in to her room from elsewhere in her beloved home.
She untangled herself from her soft, cozy bedsheets and made her way over to the door to take down her mint green dressing gown from it's peg. She shrugged it onto her shoulders whilst stepping into her matching green slippers. Ara retrieved a hair tie from her dressing table and attempted to take the wild mane that was her hair. She scooped it up into a messy ponytail and, with that, decided it was as close as she was going to get to any ounce of order.
She emerged from her bedroom, closing the door behind her and shuffled downstairs in the direction of the smell that was making her hungry.
Still half asleep, she groaned dramatically as she collapsed on the dining table chair next to her father. He had an amused expression on his face as he observed the antics of his daughter.
"Are you quite finished?" He remarked as groaning appeared to have ceased.
Ara let out a louder, much more exaggerated noise in response. "I am now."
"Good, I have something for you. Well, two things actually". At her curious expression, he handed over a rectangular box. Wrapped in silver, glimmering paper and topped with a bow, it reminded Ara that it was her birthday. She was never so obsessed with birthdays as the muggles in her neighbourhood seemed to be. They gave her a peculiar feeling that she couldn't quite place, it was a mix between guilt and anguish but she could never work out the root of this problem. She had never mentioned this to her father, she feared that it could be something terrible, or that he would pass it off as a mere overreaction to her dislike of attention. Turning her attention back to the box, she shook it slightly and felt the weight of it in her hands, speculating as to what could lie within it.
She gingerly removed the lid and her jaw dropped slightly before she collected herself. Inside the box lied an intricate, silver necklace in the shape of a heart, engraved into the back was the words I love you Bella. Bella was her father's nickname for her. Many of her friends called her Ara, as a shortened version of Arabella, but only a very select few people were allowed to call her Bella, a name that her father had called her for as long as she could remember. Upon close inspection, she noticed a small cork at the top of the necklace. At her puzzled look, her father explained what it was.
"This necklace has a small potions vial built in to it. It currently contains a small amount of Felix Felicis potion. I'm trusting you, Bella, not to use it unnecessarily. Should a situation arise where it is needed, you will know."
"You can trust me, I won't use it for any stupid reasons. Thanks Dad"
"You're welcome Bella, Happy Birthday".
Ara leant over and hugged her father, and he hugged her back, albeit somewhat reluctantly. He wasn't one for physical affection, Ara had learnt this over the years. Why, she didn't know, but as it was her birthday she disregarded this and, to her surprise, he kissed the top of her forehead.
After she removed herself from him, he passed her a letter. She noticed the signature Hogwarts seal on the reverse of the envelope and realised that it was her Hogwarts letter.
She opened the letter and read the first page;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster:
Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms Snape,We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Ara turned to the second page and read through the equipment list;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protectionby Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-PocusChief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
Severus Snape watched his daughter's eyes light up as she read though the two pages. Her mouth curved into a grin and she looked up at him.
"Dad, can we please go and see Dragon?"
"His name is Draco when you're talking to me. And yes, we're meeting him after we have visited Diagon Alley later today. So after we have eaten the waffles Mrs. Bane has made for you, please go and take off that infernal coloured robe and get dressed so we can leave."
Mrs. Bane was their muggle housekeeper. As her father was a Hogwarts professor, he didnt have a lot of time to take care of household tasks, so hiring somebody to do them was the best option. Ara did as she was told, and spent a long time choosing what to wear. It was the day she was getting her first wand and she wanted to make sure she looked presentable. After trying on multiple tops, she eventually settled on a rainbow striped long sleeve t-shirt.
She felt pressure against her head as her father spoke into her mind
What, pray tell, is taking you so long?
They had been conversing in this way for many years, it was one of the first things he had taught her, other than some basic potion brewing. She used legillemency to reply to him in his head
I'm trying to choose what to wear, a girl only turns eleven once, you know
With that, he closed his mind and waited for her to emerge. She was so much like her mother, Severus thought, that it was rather creepy. At the thought of her mother, Severus flinched but schooled his expression as Bella appeared, wearing the rainbow top that she knew he didn't like, as if to annoy him. In spite of himself, he smirked at her and with billowing robes, he exited the house, making sure Bella was following behind him before casting a Colloportus at the door. When they were beyond the wards, they apparated to Diagon Alley.
This is the first proper fanfiction i've written so please be nice. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated though.
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danabealesxo