I was writing this on Quotev. But the website will not let me continue to publish chapters! So I'll move it to this website. Listen, it's a cliche OC Harry Potter story. But I tried very hard to give it individuality! If you want to know what the main character looks like, the link is on my profile! Thank you guys for reading!

It's not like Delila hasn't been to Hogwarts before. Delila has been there every year since she has been a small infant, her father refusing to let her be in anyone else's care. As a very protective father, he wanted to know where she resided at all times and what she was doing. He cared for her too much and feared the unknown very highly. He has always had his reasons and Delila has never thought it right to pester her father over such things that weren't really an issue to her.

But the day was approaching quickly. The day of her start of Hogwarts. Her and her father had been preparing months in advance. She had her robes made very specially by a shop in Diagon Alley. Her cauldron was her father's old cauldron and it had his initials inscribed on the handle. But the difficult part was taking Delila to Diagon Alley for her to select her wand herself. The wand ended up a bright silver color with shiny white specks in it. The handle was curved but a deep black color, like a dragon's talon. It was not unusual that a dragon heart string was residing in the wand's core. But most important, the handle was made with a very rare snake skin. And it is impossible to break or shatter.

At first, Delila was against it because of her pet snake, Hssiss. But after a little persuasion that the snake was not harmed and that the skin had been shed before it was used, Delila agreed and it became her most prized possession of all. Despite her father the Potions master of Hogwarts, he taught her more of the Dark Arts. She will be very surprised if there is a teacher at Hogwarts that could teach her more than her father ever has. But the time came for her to learn new things. Such as the history of magic, care of creatures, and transfiguration.

Her father was nervous about her being around others that could possibly harm her but he was not scared of the teachers. Except for the Dark Arts teacher. He made it clear to the headmaster, Dumbledore, that Delila was not to be taught the Dark Arts by that Professor Quirrell. Despite him being out of the ordinary, there were many other problems with him that he had to list. And Delila was to have her own dorm away from anyone else and close to the teachers dorms. In a way, the over-protectiveness of her father made Delila happy. He was her closest friend, besides Hssiss.

Delila was in the process of preparing her suitcase and trunk for the whole year when her father came into her room. Severus Snape was a caring, sweet man when it came to his daughter. He loved her more than anyone in the whole world. But there are some things that seem to get on his nerves. Severus was holding in his hands and wrapped around his arm Hssiss. He was a brilliant midnight black color and had gold eyes that seemed to watch you no matter what. He was a very long, very big snake. Severus had gotten the egg when Delila was just a baby and the egg hatched Hssiss. The little snake took an immediate shine to Delila and grew with her. He was bigger than her father now and seemed to have an emotional attachment to Delila because he was always near her. The snake hissed softly and lifted its head.

"Delila, may I have a word?" Severus said as his daughter turned around to face him and Hssiss. Delila flinched a little when she saw her dad's disapproving stare.

"Yes, dad?" She said, nervous. Severus handed the very large python to her daughter and Delila petted his smooth scales.

"I thought I made it clear that Hssiss was to stay out of the potions cabinets," Severus scolded. "He ate 3 of the 10 toads in the box. Now they are running amuck all over the cabinet." Delila kind of winced when she heard the croaking from the toads in the cabinets. Hssiss gave a little flick of his tongue and wrapped around her arm and neck. Delila carefully unwrapped her pet around her arm and placed her on the bed.

"I'll help you retrieve them, dad." Delila said, standing and walking out of her room. Severus stood behind and looked at Hssiss who hissed at him.

"You stay out of my toads," He said, smirking before closing the door and making sure Hssiss couldn't escape again. Delila was already in the cabinets with a bucket and catching toads as they leaped in the air and put them in the bucket. After she caught them all, she put them back in the boxes and sealed them shut. Her father had drilled holes in the top of the boxes so the toads could live. Delila left the cabinets and washed the nastiness from her hands. Her father came down the stairs and watched Delila as she dried off her hands and looked out the window in front of her. He never took Delila as the gloomy type, but some things he couldn't get around. She would randomly stare out windows for several minutes, sigh, and watch the clouds move across the skies.

But he took it as nothing. Delila had scampered passed her father and up the staircase towards her bedroom. She opened up her door and saw Hssiss sitting on top of her trunk. He hissed and laid down on the trunk. Delila smiled and very carefully picked up her pet.

"Alright, boy, into the tank," She urged, placing him carefully in the tank that was large enough for him to be in. She checked the clock on her wall and saw it read a few minutes after 7:30. They needed to leave soon. Delila reached for her bracelet engraved with Lilies and vines. It was the most precious thing she owned, other than Hssiss. Delila smiled a little as she strapped her bracelet on her wrist before lacing up her new black shoes, There was a knock on the door and Severus entered, prepared to help his daughter with whatever she needed.

"It's time to go, Delila," He said in the same monotone he has always had. Delila nodded and lifted her suitcase and trunk. She hesitantly looked at the tank with Hssiss in it and pulled out her wand. "Like I showed you, Delila. Swish, and flick." Severus instructed.

Very carefully, Delila swished her wand to the left and gave a sharp flick, saying "Wengardium Leviosa," The tank picked itself off the ground and Delila smiled a little at her dad. "How was that?"

"Brilliant, my dear." Severus patted her long black hair and she smiled up at him. He picked up her trunk for her while she focused on the tank in front of her while carefully walking down the staircase and towards the outside where the Portkey for the train station was. The two touched the portkey and in an instant it felt like the entire world was spinning. But after a minute, it all ceased and the setting was darker than before. And full of steam. They had reached the train station. Delila knew exactly where to go and she handed off her stuff to the assistant on the train, including Hssiss' tank. She removed her pet from the tank, however. Severus handed over his own suitcases and helped his daughter onto the train.

"Now Delila... I won't be able to go to the students side of the train. So you must promise to stay safe, understood?" Severus said to his daughter. She nodded and hugged her dad.

"I'll see you later tonight, dad," She said before jumping on the train. Severus let out a breath of fear before walking down the line towards the professors separate train.

Delila walked around for many minutes, surrounded by others her age. She didn't understand. It wasn't like what she read in books. They acted very different than what was expected. But then again, she was never considered ordinary herself. Hssiss almost took a snap at one of the fellow first years but Delila kept him contained. "Still, Hssiss," She scolded. Her and Hssiss walked into a compartment that was vacant, and put Hssiss down on the seat next to her. The snake hissed softly and coiled up in her lap. She petted his hide slowly and looked out of the window. The brick wall was not moving yet, which made her happy in a way. Hssiss wound its way around her body and rested his head on her lap. Delila smiled and petted his scaly head. Many minutes of waiting were finally over and the train lurched forward. She shifted nervously as Hssiss wound around her tighter. Delila petted her and sighed.

"It's alright, Hssiss. We're just moving... it will be over soon." Delila spoke in a hushed tone and looked out of the window, staring at the bright sunny sky and clouds. She heard a woman calling out "Anything from the trolley?" but it was quickly tuned out as Delila pulled out a small box from under the seat and opened it up, munching on a small carrot stick and breaking a piece of celery. Hssiss noticed this and he began to sniff a brown paper bag in a separate part of the bag. Delila smiled.

"I haven't forgotten you, Hssiss," Delila said before unzipping the section of the netted bag and pulling out the brown paper bag. She began to unwrap it and ripped it open, A dead rat laid within it and Delila closed the box before picking up the rat by the tail and standing up. Hssiss let out a high hiss and looked at the rat. He followed Delila's hands with his head and top part of his body as she stood on the seat. "Want it, buddy?" She smirked. He hissed again and flicked his tongue outwards. "Catch!"

Delila threw the rat in the air and Hssiss seemed to jump upward, but just extended his body and bit down hard on the rat with his fangs. It traveled down his throat and to his very large stomach. Delila smiled and patted his black head. "Good boy, Hssiss," She said, scratching under his chin. But Delila was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. She jumped off the seat and saw a girl with bushy brown hair and very clean demeanor. She opened the door and peered inside, nervous of the very large snake.

"So sorry to bother you, but have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one," She said, eyeing Delila and the snake. Delila shook her head.

"Deep sympathies for the boy, but I haven't seen one." Delila said in the most polite way she could. But the girl was still staring at the snake as he flicked his tongue at her. Delila looked at Hssiss and then at the girl before shaking her head. "Oh, no, my friend. Hssiss has not eaten toads since early this morning. He's very full by now. No room for anymore," She tried to ease the girl's mind and held out her arm for Hssiss and he coiled around it and her body. "He's perfectly harmless when it comes to humans."

"Right... I guess I'll just be off then," And with that, the girl left, very nervously. Delila sighed and looked at her snake before sitting down and putting her head down on the seat.

"I miss dad already," Hssiss curled up at Delila's small feet and slowly began to drift off himself. Soon, they had both fallen asleep.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Delila woke up to a sudden lurch forward and fell off the seat with a small high pitched scream. She hit the floor and felt Hssiss hit her legs. She looked down at her pet who hissed and slithered up to her. "I must have overslept. Come, Hssiss. Must get changed and then depart, I suppose."

In record time, Delila had put on her uniform and picked up her pet snake before running out and towards the boats where first years were always taken. But along the way, she ran into Hagrid. The half giant man who takes care of magical creatures. He's a very friendly man and always took care of Delila. "Hagrid! What an unexpected surprise!" Delila said, looking up at the giant man.

"Well if it ain't little snake herself," He patted her head and she smiled. "Finally a first year, eh?" Delila nodded happily. Hagrid looked at Delila but then at Hssiss. "Oh, sorry there, Delila. No animals allowed at the sorting ceremony,"

"But he's my best friend! And it would mean ever so much if he were to join me," She said, smiling like a little angel. Hagrid didn't let up.

"Sorry young lady... Best put him back in the tank," Hagrid held out his hand and Delila unwrapped Hssiss from her neck, placing him in his hands. "Yes, sir."

"Don't you fret. He'll be waiting for you in your dorm," And with that, Hagrid walked away and towards the luggage. Delila rolled her eyes and ran towards the boats before quickly squeezing through all the first years and jumping into a boat with great skill. All the other kids stared at her oddness before joining her in the boat. The boats sailed down the water with great ease, pulling themselves just like a magical boat would. It wasn't long before the fog cleared and Delila saw the place she had called her home away from home.

"It's good to be back..."