The summer holiday could not have been more relaxing without these conniving scoundrels who are constantly up to no good. But here we are back again, for yet another year, another year in which I will not be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. Who better than yours truly to teach these young fools about the Dark Arts? But apparently Dumbledore has yet another plan for me as I will once again be teaching Potions, and he has brought in some Professor Quarrel to teach the Dark Arts. I had heard nothing of this Quarrel until Dumbledore had informed me that he had taken the position that is rightfully mine. I met him this morning as he came to get settled before the students arrived; the blathering idiot was wandering lost on the 3rd floor corridor. There is something that just isn't quite right about the man, and that observation is not due to jealousy. Speak of the devil, he just sat down beside me, late of course and is now continuously blabbering on in my ear about god knows what. Hell, he is more annoying than some of my students!
The Great Hall begins to fill with the chatter of students, discussing all too loudly their summers and their plans for the year. Plans which surely do not involve much good. The room suddenly begins to go silent as all heads turn toward the door, there were the first years. All so eager to discover in which house they will be placed; for the excitement of the year to come. They walk to the front of the hall led by Professor McGonagall, and the sorting commences. I can already tell which of them I will have troubles with, which will be too lazy to study and which simply won't understand what I am teaching. Worse of all are the insufferable know-it-alls, those eager students who have actually studied throughout the summer, they are always a nuisance.
"Slytherin," booms the Sorting Hat, there he is, Draco Malfoy, my dear friend Lucius had said he would be joining us at Hogwarts this year. What a great addition he will be to my house, surely a brilliant mind and a great wizard like his father. Standing in the front row with a snide remark on his face is yet another freckle covered orange haired boy, another Weasley of course. That is when I hear it, Harry Potter, I turn my attention to the black haired boy nervously walking up to sit on the stool. The room fills with whispers, the rumors are true, it is finally the year in which he will join the Wizarding World. The students of the upper years sit anxiously awaiting the Sorting Hat's decision, the professors too, everyone hoping that he will be placed in their house. The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, the famous Harry Potter, everyone simply feasting upon the sight of him. Surely the students and the professors, all planning a way in which they will become acquainted with him. "Gryffindor," shouts the Hat. The long anticipated decision, and not quite surprising as his blasted father was one as well. The boy would have done well in Slytherin with my guidance, but at least I won't have to deal with him. Harry goes and joins the Gryffindor table, he could not look more lost and out of place. Allowing him to live with muggles, that has to have been one of Dumbledore's most foolish decisions, the boy could not be more ill prepared for his future.
The sorting is finally done, Dumbledore says his words of welcome and the feast commences. The sooner this is all over the better. Quarrel is still blabbering on, I do no more than occasionally nod without any idea of what he is speaking of. He continues to do nothing but make a fool of himself. That is when I meet his eyes, from across the room Harry Potter is staring at me. He places a hand on his forehead and traces his scar. The scar given to him that night, the night I lost her, leaving nothing to me but this boy. I get caught up in his eyes, his wonderful green eyes. He has her eyes. I am taken aback by those eyes, the ones he is so undeserving of. He looks away, but I am already caught up in thoughts, thoughts of her.
Her hair is blowing in the wind, her white dress swirls as she turns to face me. My breath taken away by her beauty, I had forgotten to keep running. Most of all I had always loved her eyes. "Well, aren't you coming Sev?" she says before continuing to run up the hill. I proceeded to chase after her and it wasn't until I reached the top that I caught up. We climbed up the tree and sat high in the branches where we talked for hours. This was our spot, it had been since we were little. We sat and talked excitedly about our adventures at Hogwarts and how we wished to return. She wished more deeply than I, as all I wished for was to stay here with her forever. But she longed to return as she was of a muggle family, her first experience of the wizarding world hadn't been until last year when she'd received her letter. It was now the summer after our first year at Hogwarts, much had changed throughout the year. We did not see each other nearly as much as I'd have liked, she was off making new friends. I on the other hand was busy dealing with the Potter boy, who always thought he was better than me, well I'd show him. As much as I longed to be at school where we could use magic, I was content to stay here with her, in this tree where we spent much of our time.
"Snape, Snape," I was shaken from my thoughts, by Professor Quarrel, I snapped at him angered to have been interrupted. The feast was almost over and he had yet another ridiculous story he wished to share with me, he blabbered on and couldn't quit stuttering. I quickly tuned him out, content with my thoughts. Quite a year it would be, having the Potter boy at Hogwarts, the only part of her I had left.