September 1, 1990
Daisy and Hermione smiled at each other as the doors opened wide. They walked in pairs between tables to the front of the school. Daisy began to feel nervous. She didn't know how they were sorted? She hoped it wasn't a test; she didn't know any magic at all. Even Hermione knew how to fix Daisy's broken glasses on train, and she came from a muggle home just like Daisy.
"You will come up when I call your name, place the sorting hat on your head, and then go and sit at your new house table." The tall witch instructed.
"Hermione Jane Granger," the witch read. Daisy smiled at her new friend as Hermione walked towards the sorting hat, looking incredibly nervous.
"Gryffindor!"
Daisy felt a stronger urge to be in that particular house now. She knew she would make friends wherever she ended up, but she bond so quickly with Hermione, and her intelligence fascinated her.
"Daisy James Potter," read the witch.
The great hall got quiet as Daisy stepped forwards, then whispers began. Daisy was barely looking at all the eyes watching her before they all disappeared under the brim of the hat. A voice came in her ears. Daisy remembered what Ron said on the train about only bad witches and wizards coming out of Slytherin. The hat took note of it.
"Gryffindor!"
Relief swept over her as she handed the hat back to the tall witch, Daisy was surprised to see a faint smile on her face. She had not smiled to any other students. However, she didn't focus long on the matter. Moments later, she plopped down next to Hermione and an older red haired student who introduced himself as Percy Weasley.
Neville and Ron were sorted into Gryffindor as well. As Daisy was looking at the head table, she saw Hagrid waving. She waved back then looked along the row of professors, so wondered what each one taught. Other than Hagrid, the professors seemed occupied in conversation, except one.
Daisy met the eyes of a man with dark hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were just as dark as his hair was, and when they made eye contact, Daisy felt something she had never felt before. Her hand went to her forehead, where a pain seared through her lightning bolt scar for the shortest of moments.
While she asked Percy who the man was, Severus Snape was deep in his thoughts. From behind, Daisy looked similar to her mother- Lily Evans. However, all he saw when he looked at her eyes was James Potter. She didn't have the green eyes of her mother, she had brown eyes as her father did. Those eyes brought back regrettable memories for Severus Snape, memories of a tormented adolescent.
After Daisy learned the man would be her Potions professor, she looked back at him again, but he was looking in another direction, deep in his own thoughts. Loathing swept through the grown man at the sight of those eyes again. Severus couldn't believe the fact that Daisy took James as her middle name.
The feast was over shortly, the small girl hadn't eaten so much in her life. All the professors had taken note of her low weight. All but Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore were questioning her homelife in their minds.
Daisy and Hermione rose from the table and followed Percy Weasley out of the room and up to Gryffindor tower. Daisy couldn't believe she had her own bed- for the first time in her life. She and Hermione chose the two beds furthest from the door in the circular tower and closest to the largest window.
Taking her glasses off and putting her wand on the table next to her, Daisy quickly fell asleep. She had a dream of Severus Snape wearing a talking turban, but when she awoke, she could not remember anything.
Daisy sat next to Hermione and breakfast and across from Ron and Neville. "There was a break-in at the goblin bank!" Hermione sounded surprised as she read through an abandoned Daily Prophet left on the table. "I heard it was one of the safest places!"
"It is, next to Hogwarts." Daisy replied, quoting Hagrid. "Who was caught? What was taken?"
"That's the thing, no one was, and the vault was emptied earlier…" Hermione's eyes were going back and forth as she read the article again. "Vault 713-"
"713!" Daisy exclaimed. They all looked at her. Lowering her voice, "That's the vault Hagrid emptied for Professor Dumbledore the day he took me there. He took this small package."
"Whatever it was," Ron added since he overheard everything, "It was something important."
"We better get going…" Neville added. "I hear you don't want to be late for Potions."
The four made their way from the table and down to the dungeons. They picked seats in a row in the back of the classroom. Only moments later, Daisy jumped as the door was thrusted open and Professor Snape entered. "There is no foolish wand waving in this class." He eyed one of Daisy's classmates who was fiddling with his wand. "As such, I don't expect many of you will appreciate the art of potion making, nor do I expect many of you will excel in the subject. It takes exquisite concentration." He looked around the classroom. "However, for those select few that has what it takes, I can teach you to bewitch the mind, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." His eyes wandered the room again. "The again, some of you may have come to Hogwarts with abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention."
He hissed the last words as Daisy realized he was talking about Hermione Granger. She was sitting next to her scribbling every word Snape was saying as fast as she could. Snape moved so he was in front of the girl. "Do you wish to be dismissed from my class today, Miss-?"
Snape was clearly not knowing of her last name. "Granger." She squeaked. "And, no… sir!" She quickly added.
Daisy couldn't believe the injustice that was occurring. "Professor, she was taking notes." Daisy whispered to the man before them.
Snape turned to face Daisy now, his black eyes bearing into her brown ones, anger brewing stronger with each second he looked at James Potter's eyes. "Did I ask for your opinion, Miss Potter?"
"No, I…" She trailed off, looking downward once Severus raised a brow at her, making her feel small. Snape turned to return to the front of the classroom again, "Five points from Gryffindor for Miss Potter's cheek."
Severus's glance was only too focused on Daisy's eyes; he was completely oblivious she was biting her bottom lip, looking distressed. Daisy prided herself on being a good and respectful student. Although, when Hermione was treated unfairly, something arose in Daisy that she had never felt before; however, that may have been due to the lack of friendships in her life before Hogwarts.
After Potions came Transfiguration, Daisy, Hermione, and Ron made their way up the stairs, trying to find their classroom. However, they found a dark and empty passageway. Daisy suggested they were in the wrong area when Hermione realized where they were- the forbidden third floor.
"Filch's cat!" Ron added. "If we're caught, we're done for!"
The trio took off running towards the stairs, but they were only faced with more dark corridors. They were completely lost. "Filch is coming!" Daisy hissed as the tried to hide in a doorway. Ron was trying to pull the door open.
"Move!" Hermione snapped, and with a quick spell, the door was unlocked. The three slipped inside, just in time to miss Filch. "I think he's gone now." Hermione added.
"I think we have bigger problems…" Daisy whispered. Ron and Hermione turned around to see a three-headed dog behind them. He was just waking up from a nap. In a swift movement, they flew the door open and slammed it shut again as the dog was snarling, one of its heads pressed against the door.
"What are they doing keeping a dog like that in a school?" Ron hissed as they took off in the direction they hoped would bring them to stairs.
When they were safely on the moving staircases, and back on their way to class, Hermione spoke. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Ron made a remark about being too busy watching its three heads that made Daisy giggle. "It was on a trapdoor! It's guarding something."
The smile was removed from Daisy's face. "It must be hiding on what was in vault 713!" Hermione nodded. "After this class, come meet Hagrid with me. He will know more about this."
Their lesson with Professor McGonagall went smoother than Potions, and after they went to visit Hagrid. He didn't tell them much, but he did let it slip that it was from vault 713, and it only concerned Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel. The three didn't think much more of it since they had no idea who the man was, and they believed Fluffy was an adequate guard.
October 31, 1990
Daisy had never been more happy in her life than she had at her first two months at Hogwarts. While Ron seemed reluctant, he still followed Daisy and Hermione around. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan bonded quickly, so Ron felt like a third-wheel with them, and he preferred Daisy and Hermione to being with Neville or his older brothers.
The morning was uneventful. They had Potions with the Slytherins. Daisy had no idea why, but she knew for certain that Professor Snape hated her. He was constantly making comments on her celebrity status and banishing her potions. She couldn't concentrate as a fear for the man was starting to brew more successfully than any of her potions had.
After Potions came Transfiguration, lunch, and then Divination. Charms went well, except for Hermione and Ron. Daisy watched from a distance as Hermione correctly Ron, a little too loudly for Daisy's taste, but she would never admit that.
When class was over, Ron chose to vent to Dean and Seamus. However, Ron didn't know Hermione was behind him with Daisy. "She's a nightmare!"
Daisy watched Hermione's face, and she knew she was hurt by the words. Hermione increased her pace, ran into Ron from behind and took off running.
Ron turned around to see Daisy, "Look what you've gone and done!" She huffed as she chased after Hermione.
Both girls were missing as the Halloween feast began. Ron tried to ignore the guilt he felt in his stomach. Daisy soon arrived, sitting between Ron and one of his twin brothers. Before Ron could ask, "She is refusing to come to the feast, she only insisted I come so she could be alone. Hermione's been crying in the bathroom since Charms ended."
Ron's face showed her regret. "Just tell her you're sorry when you see her next." Eagerly, Ron nodded.
However, before Daisy could take a bite of her dinner, the doors of the great Hall burst open. Their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor came running in.
"Troll! Troll in the dungeon!" Quirrell screamed in a high-pitched voice.
The students dropped their food and started screaming in an equally high-pitched voices. Over the screams, Daisy asked Ron, "Are trolls dangerous?"
"Yeah, they're rather stupid." Ron replied.
The headmaster stood up. "Silence!" Dumbledore bellowed over the voices. "Prefects, please escort your classmates back to your houses."
Daisy and Ron were making their way back to Gryffindor tower when Daisy grabbed Ron by the arm. "Hermione, she doesn't know!" Ron looked hesitant, but he knew she was right. They had to save her.
When Percy wasn't looking, they snuck away from their classmates to the bathroom Daisy knew she was in.
It wasn't long before they found Hermione, and it was not much longer than that in which the troll found the three of them.
With Ron finally mastering the levitation charm, the troll was knocked out by it's own tree stump of a bat it was carrying.
The sound of the troll falling to the ground must have alerted the professors because they all came rushing in. While Professor McGonagall was surprised of what they had done, the golden trio was even more surprised she awarded them points for their "sheer dumb luck!"
Except something caught Daisy's eyes as Hermione was lying about what actually happened. Snape's robes were pushed to the side, revealing his black pant leg- which was ripped and showing a deep cut that was still bleeding.
Snape noticed Daisy's eyes on his and glared dangerously as he pulled his robe over his hurt leg. Again, he was too focused on her eyes to notice the concern that was on her face, even if it was one of her least favorite people on the planet that was hurt.
Once they got back to the common room, Daisy shared what she had saw. Hermione knew the only explanation was that Snape had tried to steal what belonged to Nicholas Flamel and Fluffy was protecting.
They all went to bed agreeing, Snape was not to be trusted.
The next morning, Daisy woke up incredibly hungry since she barely ate the night before. Ron convinced her today was something to look forward to. It was their first flying lesson. However, Daisy and Hermione seemed apprehensive of the idea.
The first part of class went well, except for Neville Longbottom. His broom quickly was not able to be controlled. After rising to a dangerous height, he fell and broke his wrist. Their professor, Madam Hooch, had to escort him to the hospital wing.
However, he left something behind. A small glass trinket was on the grass. It was a gift Neville received from his grandmother to help him if he was forgetting something.
And Malfoy was the first to spot it. "Oh look, the great lump has forgotten his rememberall!" Malfoy tossed it a few feet the caught it. Daisy saw the look of an idea flash across his eyes.
Draco threw his leg over his broomstick, "I'll put it somewhere safe. How's the top of the castle?"
The words came out of Daisy's mouth before she realized, "Give it her."
"I don't think so." Draco added nonchalantly.
Daisy mounted her broomstick, but Hermione caught her arm. "Remember what Madam Hooch said, you'll be expelled!"
But Daisy didn't care. Her loathing for Draco was not allowing her to think clearly. She kicked off hard from the ground.
Meanwhile, within the castle walls, Minerva McGonagall was walking to her office, but she was surprised to see Severus Snape looking out the window. She couldn't tell what his expression was- nervousness?
"Severus, what-"
But she was interrupted by Daisy flying as fast as she could, almost directly at them. Then Minerva saw what was happening since Severus was wordless. She caught the rememberall just before it smashed against the wall.
"She must take after James!' Minerva sounded joyful.
Severus turned to her once Daisy had safely put two feet on the ground. "You wouldn't-"
"Try getting the quidditch cup this year with her as a seeker!" And before Severus could utter another word, Minerva was off to tell the future seeker herself.
Excitement turned to fear as the first quidditch match approached. Daisy could barely stomach breakfast as Oliver Wood told her she needed her strength.
She felt even worse when she heard a deep voice behind her. She needn't turn around to know who it was, but she still did.
"Good luck today, Miss Potter." Her brown eyes met Snape's black ones. "Although after you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of quidditch shouldn't be difficult for you, even if it is against Slytherin."
She gave her best polite smile, which wasn't much for her dreaded Potions professor, "Thanks."
However, once the match started and Daisy was in the air, she felt as though she left her nerves behind. The quaffle was being passed back and forth, but there was no sign of the snitch.
Except her broomstick gave a frightening lurch forward, that she had not intended for it to do. Moments later, the broom was bucking like a horse, trying to throw her off of it. Her hands were sweaty; it was getting hard to hold on.
The Weasley twins were right below her, ready to catch her if she jumped off or was thrown off.
With one successful lurch, she went over the front of her broom. She was hanging on below it now. George Weasley moved higher and wrapped an arm around her middle, but the jerking finally stopped.
"I think it's over!" She said as she did a pull-up to get back on her broom.
"Good! Now find that snitch!" George winked at her.
It was only a few minutes later when Daisy was safely on the ground, the snitch firmly in her hand.
The Gryffindors all rushed the field. It had been a few years since they had beaten Slytherin. But Hermione and Ron had concerning expressions.
That night by the fire, Hermione told her what happened to her broom. "I saw Snape not breaking any eye contact with you, and I could see him chanting. Once his robes were on fire it stopped!"
"I knew he wasn't to be trusted! He's trying to steal from Dumbledore and Flamel, and he's trying to kill me!"
"What'd you ever do to him?" Ron asked.
"I still haven't figured that out…" Daisy sighed.
Christmas holiday was getting closer and closer, yet the golden trio still had not managed to discover who Nicholas Flamel was. Hermione was going home for the holiday, but Daisy was staying behind, and so was Ron.
Although it was very unlike Hermione, she urged Daisy and Ron to look in the restricted section of the library. They agreed to Hermione, but once she left, they both came to an understanding that having Hagrid slip something was likely to be more successful than sneaking into that section of the library.
December 31, 1990
Daisy would not have predicted she would be sneaking around the library at night, but she was. She received an invisibility cloak for Christmas that morning. Knowing it was her father's, made her more keen on actually using it.
Daisy spent a few hours in the library alone. Ron was passed out asleep in his bed when Daisy tried to wake him. Once her eyelids were too heavy to continue reading, she put the last book back on the shelf of the restricted section, and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself as she made her way out of the library after no luck at all of learning more about Nicholas Flamel.
She was nearly to her common room when she heard voices, but they didn't belong to Mr. Filch, so she decided to investigate. As she got closer, her scar started to prickle. Finally she turned a corner to see Professor Snape pinning Professor Quirrell against the corridor wall, his wand pointing to his chest.
However, Daisy forget one important factor, she was invisible, but the cloak didn't cover any sounds she made. Before she could understand what was going on, Snape had already stopped talking because he heard Daisy's gasp.
"We'll have another little chat soon…" He sneered before moving in long strides in Daisy's direction.
Snape's hand reached out and made snatching motions as though he knew there was something there. Daisy remained as quiet as she could, pressed against a wall, and eventually Snape gave up.
Once Snape was out of sight, she raced off in the direction of her common room. Meanwhile, Snape marched his way to the headmaster's office.
Professor Dumbledore was awake still, scribbling something on parchment when Snape entered.
"She cannot be wandering the halls at night! You gave her the damn cloak didn't you?"
"Licorice?" Albus held out a bowl, and Severus scowled. "It was her father's she should have the cloak."
"When she is of proper age!" Severus glared. "Quirrell is up to something. I don't know what or how, but he is different since the summer holiday."
"I imagine you will keep an eye on him for me?" Severus eyed Albus, and he knew the answer. "And I imagine you will continue to keep an eye on Miss Potter for me as well?"
Severus looked dangerous, "Reluctantly, yes."
Albus chuckled as he looked at Severus. Then Fawkes landed on his desk, looking the headmaster in the eyes. "It might interest you to know she probably still hasn't made it back to her bed."
Again, a slight look of worry crossed Severus's face. "Fawkes just alerted me that someone has entered the empty classroom near Gryffindor Tower, which conveniently holds The Mirror of Erised."
Severus stood up.
Albus went back to writing, his quill etching itself against the parchment. "Do try to have a slight amount of understanding, Severus." Their eyes met as Severus gave a curt nod before leaving.
Moments later, he opened the door and stepped into the classroom with the mirror. Daisy did not even hear him. He watched her stand before the mirror, her hand pressed against it.
For a moment, Severus felt a weakness towards the girl. Her image was probably similar to his, minus James.
Finally he spoke, "Just because you have that cloak does not mean school rules no longer apply to you."
She spun around. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what all he knew she had done tonight. "I just found this…"
Severus raised a brow as he neared her. Daisy felt worried. It was only a few weeks ago when he tried to kill her during her quidditch match. Severus's lip curled, and Daisy had the uncomfortable feeling as though he could read minds.
"Get back to your bed. Twenty points from Gryffindor." Severus snarled.
Daisy moved to the door and grabbed her cloak, but something stopped her. She stopped caring who it was that caught her because she had an overwhelming desire for an answer to why she just saw her parents. Daisy knew she would likely never get a chance for an answer if she didn't ask now.
"Sir?" She sounded soft and hesitant.
"What, Potter?" Severus replied, but not in his absolute worst tone, more in his usual teaching tone of voice.
"Why did I see my parents?" She waited for a response, but when one didn't come immediately she added, "At least I think it was them… I've never seen what they looked like before…"
Daisy looked at her feet, not sure why she told her least favorite person in the castle that added detail. Severus felt a twinge of warmth towards the girl as her red hair met his gaze. All he saw was Lily as a child when he couldn't obviously see the lack of bright green eyes.
"That is The Mirror of Erised. It shows the viewer's desire. Now get to bed, and do not come looking for this again." Severus felt annoyed at himself for even continuing the conversation with a first year out of bed in the middle of the night.
"Thank you, professor." Daisy added before slipping out the door and back to her bed. Once she got her answer, she didn't want to give him any further time to murder her.
Severus stood in the empty room before walking towards the mirror, knowing he would regret it. Briefly, he glanced at the reflection of himself, but he wasn't alone. Lily stood by his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Her red hair draped down the arm of his robes. However, something new had appeared since the last time he looked in the mirror many years ago.
A small child stood between them. She had Lily's hair and facial features, just like Daisy. But upon closer examination, her eyes were not brown. They were so dark that it was hard to distinguish where the pupil even was, just like Severus's eyes.
Late Spring 1991
"Another Dumbledore!" Ron sounded disappointed as he looked at his chocolate frog card. "You want it?" He added to Daisy.
"Sure," she replied. She already had a Dumbledore as well, but she didn't mind having two. His cards would always remind her of her first day at Hogwarts since she opened her first chocolate frog on the train from London to find his card inside.
She looked over the back of the card, procrastinating studying for exams. "I got something!" She spoke as loudly as she could without drawing attention to herself in the busy common room. Everyone was preparing for exams.
Hermione and Ron moved in closer to see the back of the card. "Nicholas Flamel worked with Dumbledore on the sorcerer's stone!"
Hermione's face lit up. "That's it! That's under the trap door!"
Ron noticed the common room was nearly empty. "Now that we've figured it out, can we go to dinner?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as they rose to follow the rest of their Gryffindors down to the great hall.
Except someone was missing from the head table. Professor Dumbledore's chair was empty. "You don't think the sorcerer's stone is more likely to be stolen if Dumbledore is gone?" Daisy spoke cautiously.
Hermione looked her straight in the eyes, "Of course I do…"
Ron added between bites, "We'll talk to McGonagall on her way out."
Except when they had finished eating and they spoke to the head of their house in the hallway, she was the least bit concerned. However, she was surprised they knew what was hidden in the school.
They stood in the corridor, whispering about what to do, and then a voice came from behind them. "Good evening…" Slowly they turned around to see Snape eyeing them. "Now what would three young Gryffindors such as yourself be so loquacious about before exams."
"We were just," Hermione paused, not knowing what to say.
Yet it was clear to Snape she had nothing to say. "You might want to be careful someone might think you're up to something." He spoke his last words with his gaze bearing down on Daisy.
But he spun on his heels and left them alone.
"He's the one that is up to something." Daisy added. "We'll have to get the stone ourselves." Hermione and Ron looked agasp. "Hagrid mentioned Fluffy falls asleep to music over Christmas holiday when I was trying to get more information from him. Apparently it's not exactly an uncommon way to control animals like that..."
"If we get the stone then it will be safe until Dumbledore returns!' Ron added.
Hermione knew the amount of rules they were breaking, but she nodded. "After curfew, we'll go in your cloak."
Immediately, they knew they were too late. Once they pushed the door open to Fluffy's room, they saw a harp playing in the corner, and the trapdoor was wide open. Hermione pocketed her recorder, and they jumped down into the darkness. They all hoped the three of them combined could defeat Snape.
As the three first years realized more challenges existed before them, Severus Snape was sending an owl to Albus Dumbledore. Severus knew Quirrell was going to attempt to steal the stone tonight, and Albus needed to return to the school.
Severus sat in his office, trying to grade papers when he had a terrible suspicion about what the golden trio may have been whispering about. Severus was aware from Albus that the golden trio had found the three-headed dog, and they knew he was guarding something.
Slamming his quill down, he moved quickly to the third floor, hoping it wasn't too late.
Once Severus slid through the Devil's Snare, he found two first years below. Hermione's expression showed Severus they thought he was the one that was in the final room trying to stealing the stone; Ron was unconscious. "Stay here!" He barked. "Professor Dumbledore should arrive in a few moments."
Severus made his way through the other trials, but horror struck him when he opened the final room.
His suspicions were confirmed but even worse than he imagined. Voldemort was more than possessing Quirrell, he was living on him like a parasite. Severus looked at the ghost like object soaring around the room bellowing in anger, to Quirrell's dead ashened body on the ground.
Then he raced to Daisy as she fell backwards, losing consciousness as Voldemort flew through her before he disappeared. Severus lunged himself against the ground and reached his hands out just in time to keep the back of her head from smacking against the marble stairs that surrounded the center of the room, the sorcerer's stone still tightly grasped in her hand.
He was too worried about Daisy to think too much about how three first years managed to get through obstacles created for adults. He scooped her up into his arms. Her long red hair streaked down against Severus's black robes as her head fell into the crook of his neck.
As soon Severus moved backwards through the challenges and was returned to below the Devil's Snare, Hermione and Ron were already gone. Severus knew Albus had returned then. Quickly, he moved to the hospital wing with Daisy in his arms. It had to be past midnight now.
Once he opened the doors, Madam Pomfrey and Hermione Granger were bursting with questions, mainly if Daisy was alright.
"Over here, Severus." Madam Pomfrey motioned to an empty bed.
Severus explained what he walked in on, knowing Hermione would find out when she awoke anyway.
"It seems your suspicions were correct…" Albus sighed as Severus explained what he found.
"It was Professor Quirrell?" Hermione asked, looking from Dumbledore to Snape. Her shock still had not diminished that it was not Severus.
"It was truly Lord Voldemort possessing him." Albus replied wisely.
Hermione inhaled sharply at the sound of the name and the realization of what Daisy did. However, she still looked at Severus without complete faith. She still had not gotten an answer for why Snape was trying to hex Daisy's broom in her first quidditch match.
Yet, Severus seemed to know that was still a pressing issue. "Which explains why Professor Quirrell was hexing Miss Potter's broom in the match against Slytherin."
"But I saw you doing it." Hermione spoke quickly and instantly regretted her bluntness.
Severus eyed her, suddenly knowing who set his robes on fire. "You saw me countercurse it."
Hermione looked at her shoes.
Albus felt pity for the girl, "And with your quick thinking, Hermione, you still managed to stop the initial curse and help save your friend. And for that, twenty points to Gryffindor."
Severus rolled his eyes. The school year was nearly done, twenty points wasn't going to make a difference.
"It looks as though Mr. Weasley is waking up," Albus trailed on. "I imagine there is a great story to fill him in on since he missed part of the ending." He winked at Hermione. "As for me, I have to go put a posting in the Daily Prophet for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Miss Potter is in good hands now."
As Albus left, Severus was left with Hermione, an unconscious Daisy, and Madam Pomfrey, who was finishing casting a diagnosis test on Daisy. Hermione quickly slipped away to the side of Ron's bed, without a second glance at Professor Snape.
"She will be fine, Severus." Poppy informed the man, who appeared to look relieved. Severus gave a sharp nod, and then he left the hospital wing.
It was two days later when Daisy awoke. Hermione and Ron were instantly by her side. Ron immediately told her how exams were cancelled; Hermione looked as though the news was still freshly upsetting to her. Then Hermione filled her in on everything else after they both convinced her they were alright.
"Snape was saving me in the match? Snape carried me here?" She still couldn't believe it.
"He didn't even leave until Madam Pomfrey said you'd be alright." Hermione added.
"But he hates me. You've seen the way he looks at me, and how he treats me in class! I don't understand."
"Trust me, neither do I…" Ron added.
Hermione continued to tell her how to stone was to be destroyed, but Professor Dumbledore wasn't upset about it.
Later that afternoon, Madam Pomfrey dismissed Daisy from the hospital wing. She was on her way to her dormitory when something stopped her. She was on about to climb the stairs up, but then she descended them instead- all the way to the dungeons.
Her nerves started to kick in once she was walking in the cool dungeon corridors. She was recalling all the terrible comments he made to her in class before about her being a celebrity, just not listening, or all the times Snape called her out in front of the whole class for messing up on a potion. But she felt a stronger urge to thank the man that just saved her life multiple times.
Softly, she knocked on the door. Minutes later, just as she was about to leave, it was yanked open. "Can I help you with something, Potter?" While the words he spoke were kind, the tone was not.
"I, I, um-"
Severus raised a brow. "I have quite the amount of work to do before the term ends."
Daisy took a deep breath, "I wanted to thank you, Professor." Severus hid most of the astonishment from his face. "For the quidditch match and then a couple days ago…" She was looking down at her shoes.
Severus snickered. The fearless Gryffindor was still timid of him. Finally she looked up at him. For the first time, Severus noted how her face looked just like her mother's. It was only her eye color, and her hair was a bit messier, but that could just be because she was still just a first year.
Severus had to force himself to return to his demeanor, "Next time try not to do something completely mindless that forces me into the situation of coming after you." He hissed.
"I know, sir." She hung her head again.
"I'll see you in class, Potter." And his office door swung shut.
Daisy made her way back to her common room, and Severus strode across his office and back to his seat. What Daisy did not know was that Severus had not been alone in his office.
"You don't have to be completely terrible to her." Albus sighed, leaning back in the chair across from Severus's desk.
"You've said so yourself, the Dark Lord will return someday." Severus began, and Albus sensed a tone of sadness to his voice. "What am I supposed to do when he comes back to power if the girl can actually stand to be around me? He will order me to bring her to him!" He hissed the last words. "Unless you don't need me to play spy for you in round two?"
The loathing in his voice was clear. Albus knew he hated the task as spy, but he agreed to relieve the guilt of being responsible for Lily and James Potter's deaths. "Regrettably, I still will…"
The two men were quiet until Severus spoke, "She isn't going to get much of a childhood is she? With him returning when she is still eleven." His voice was hushed, as though he was shocking himself by these words.
"She never had much of a childhood." Severus looked at the man questioningly. "Lily's sister never accepted her." Severus felt angered by Petunia. "She has only known a life of basically being their servant."
Severus couldn't hide his anger any longer. "Why is she there then?" He snapped. Albus opened his mouth to speak, "I know the protection, but at what cost? She doesn't need to be there the entire holiday. That's two months! I wondered why she was so thin…"
"I had no idea you cared for her at such a level." Albus added. Severus opened his mouth to argue, but it was useless. Albus knew Severus better than anyone ever had before, and Albus knew Severus was already fearful of the day when Daisy learned about his real involvement with Voldemort…