I stand at the end of the bridge, snow beginning to fall around me. I got through the frst two seasons alone alright, but now I realized I longed for... people of some sort. Just to be able to speak to someone. Fath- erm, Severus, had filled that void in my life.

Until he was killed, that is.

I found my way to a little town called Hogsmead, a mile or two away from Hogwarts. It was the school's annual class trip there, so I figured I'd blend in with the crowd.

I pulled the hood of my black cloak over my night dark hair and took a step foreward, careful as to not slip on the ice. I was clothed in my emerald green sweater tank top over a crisp white blouse tucked into a black skirt, under which I wore white tights and black shoes.

I made my way into a small tavern known as the Three Broomsticks and removed my snow-speckled hood, taking in the area around me. While many Hogwarts students crowd the tavern, some people out of the school are there as well. Including the one who approached me, a boy around my age with dark hair and green eyes behing round glasses.

"Hello," he says with a smile. "You remind me of someone, though I can't think of who."

"I don't see how I could, as I've never seen you before in my life," I announce, looking away. Then I curse myself for inheriting Severus's unsocial demeaner. "Er, what I mean is, I don't believe we've met. I'm Jodie... er, Evans. Jodie Evans." I then proceeded to shake his hand.

"Harry, Harry Potter." He shook back.

"Harry Potter," I murmur. Was that not the name Severus had told me my half-brother held?

"Yea, I know. The boy who lived." He made a face, like that wasn't a name he desired. "Tell me, Jodie, are you a Hogwarts student?"

"I-"

"Well, I assume you must be, for there are few others I know with the Slytherin Crest securing their cloak." Harry gestured to it. "What year are you?"

"Seventh," I lied, hoping to make this a believable cover. "I'm a seventh year."

He frowned slightly. "Oh. I didn't see you during the battles last year."

"I'm the type to be overlooked," I said quietly.

"Oh. Sorry. Hey, Jodie, would you like to sit with me and my friends?" He gestured to a table in the far corner where a redheaded boy and someone that looked like his sister and a girl with mossy brown hair.

"Eh... sure."

"Ron, Ginny, Hermione, this is Jodie." Harry said when we got to the table.

"Hullo," they said.

"Um, hi," I answered. Nervously I sat in between Ginny and Hermione. I certainly didn't expect to meet my half-brother on his outing, not to mention his friends.

Harry ordered something called a butterbeer for all of us, something I'd never had. When the waitress, a pretty blonde girl, set them on our table, I took mine but didn't sip it.

Ron frowned. "Don't you want to drink it?"

"I- I've never had-" I murmured.

"Oh, it's good. Try some," Hermione urged. I did. It tasted like caramel and marshmallows and it fizzed.

"There seem to be a lot less first and second years," Ginny said, looking around.

"Yeah, a lot of parents have pulled their kids out due to last year," Ron said.

"Oh, like Mum did for me?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

I blinked at them, confused. I didn't understand what they were talking about. I just hoped they didn't ask.

"Who's your favorite professor, Jodie?" Ron asked. "Personally, I hated all of them."

"Er..." I hesitated. "It was professor Snape," I said quietly.

They looked at me oddly.

"I'm a Slytherin." I explained.

They nodded. "Sorry," Harry muttered.

I stood, handing Harry a Galleon or two for the drink. "I'm going to go now," I whispered, letting my dark hair fall into my eyes.

"Jodie-" Ginny began.

I walked out of the restaurant.

*- Starfy, my awe-tastic linebreaker! :D

I made my way to a little bench, brushed off the light layer of snow, and sat down. I didn't bother putting my hood up; besides, I liked the feel of the snow in my hair.

I pulled out my sketchbook, one that only held two pictures: a drawing of my mother, one I drew based on a photograph of Severus's, and one of me when I was younger: a smiling girl with shoulder-length black hair, sparkly green eyes, and wearing a green dress. I got this one from a photograph too. I smile faintly at the memory of that day: my sixth birthday, before my past startled being revealed to me.

I take out a pencil and begin to sketch another picture. I don't know what I'm frawing until I'm done: the street in front of me. I am coloring the image when someone sits next to me.

"Wow, you're good," they say.

I look up and my eyes meet those of Harry Potter.

I look back a my picture, my cheeks reddening faintly. Only Severus ever complimented my drawings, and it felt weird for somone else to do so.

"Thanks," I say softly.

"Jodie, were you really in the battle last year?"

The question takes me by surprise, and I drop my pencil. As Harry bends to pick it up for me, I ponder how I should answer. Should I lie again? Or should I tell him?

I curse myself for even considering telling him. Sure, he was my half brother, but that was all I really knew about him.

I nodded. "Why do you ask?"

He sighed. "I just thought I would have seen you around school before, is all. Just when you think you know all the Slytherins- and the strange thing is, you don't act like a Slytherin."

I huffed. "Stereotypes. Just because Salazar wasn't all that cool, doesn't mean all of us aren't."

He laughed. "Okay, okay." He looked back at my drawing. "Have you drawn anything else?"

I show him the picture of six-year-old me, skipping over the drawing of my mum.

Harry grins at sight of the picture. "But what's-" he tries to flip the page to see my mum.

I slam my sketchbook shut. "That's enough for now," I mutter.

He laughs again. "Okay, maybe you are a Slytherin."

I make a face.

He is silent for a brief moment before looking back at me. "Something about you seems familiar," he says, and I catch my breath. "Maybe I have heard about you before."

I let out my caught breath and nod. "I've heard about you," I whisper. "Harry Potter."

Slowly I go to lift up the page to show him the drawing of our mother.

"Harry!" Hermione runs out to see us. "Where have you been?! You just walked out!"

"I just wanted to make sure Jodie was alright," he countered.

She sighed. "Oh, Harry." Then her eyes widened. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley say Ginny has to go home now. Their nervous, saying some of the Death Eaters could be looking to get revenge on you." She points at him.

Harry sighs. "I'll go see her off then," he says, smiling faintly. I guess he must like Ginny. He stands and heads inside.

Hermione throws me a glance before running in after him.

I sigh. Alone again.

I open up my sketchbook and begin a drawing, this time of me. My black hair in a single braid and I'm wearing a green velvet dress. My back is to the viewer, and I'm sitting on a grey ottoman, looking out a sunlit window. The room is all white.

I just finish coloring the last sunray when someone grabs my arm and starts pushing me forward. "Come on, Jodie!" Ron says. "The classes are leaving!"

"But I'm not a student." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Ron stops and stares at me. "What?"

Harry and Hermione are there, too, gaping.

Oops.