The sun is shining brightly down upon the dark woods below. The sky is a deep blue ocean, not a cloud in sight. The golden rays of the sun fall upon a small clearing in these dark woods. Much fear is felt when the Forbidden woods are mentioned, though looking at this bright clearing would wash all fears away.
In this clearing, laying in the tall grasses and winding roots of the trees, lay the sleeping form of a boy. He must have only been fourteen, maybe fifteen even. His features were sharp and angular, but still possessed that softness of and innocence of a child. His hair was black as night, falling over his forehead and covering his closed eyes. His skin was pale, but not to the point of being sickly. He had the start of facial hair, thin and short black hairs, running along his jaw.
He wore a simple outfit. A black short sleeved shirt that looked old and worn, but kept with care and had no holes. A pair of old faded jeans, the blue turning to white where they had seen much more friction and use. Red canvas shoes that spoke of better days, but still held firm upon his feet. Lastly, a necklace, a simple black string with a wolf's fang. The fang had a strange rune carved in it, but a slash had been put through it, making the rune hard to decipher.
He lay with his arms stretched out and his legs spread, like he had fallen from the trees above and this was where he had landed. He lay sleeping softly, though not without a look of tension on his face. Whatever he was dreaming, certainly was not a pleasant thing.
A rustle came from the woods, out stepped a tall man. He had black hair and wore black robes. His face was long and angular, with what appeared a look of boredom and contempt, but the truth was far from that, for this man was of great importance. He was, after all, Severus Snape, head of Slytherin house.
He took long strides, careful not to trip. He had been in these woods many times, sometimes to find lost first years, other times he simply wanted to enjoy the peace that came with knowing where to tread. Slowly, he knelt beside the young man. He knew who this was, a boy he had though long gone. He had made a promise to guard this boy, should he ever return. It appeared that his oath was now to be fulfilled.
Lying upon the chest of the young man was a piece of parchment, rolled up with a black ribbon and stamped with a black wax seal. He hadn't seen the seal in many years, but he had expected it when he saw the young man.
Snape reached for the parchment, breaking the seal and reading the contents. Part of him wanted to smile as he read the words, but the other half of him sneered at the amount of trouble that was now coming his way. The letter was one he had lost faith in ever receiving.
Dear Severus,
I call upon you in this time of need. I ask that you stay true to your oath, the one that you swore so many moons ago. I could no longer stand idly by as my son was turned into something he was never meant to be. He was never meant to be evil, rotten and arrogant. He was meant to be much more than that. I have finally made my decision. From this day on, he is an orphan. He has a new family, one that he deserves.
From what you have told me, his cousin and uncle are wonderful people. They have become everything he had needed, while I only gave him my love and his fathers hatred. I have faith in you, that you will keep your oath. Please, watch over my little dragon, my pup. This is the last you will hear from me.
NB
It had been years since he had seen those initials on the bottom of a letter. In a way, it calmed him. He knew he would never hear from his friend again, for this was her last act of defiance. She had, in the end, won the war she had been fighting for fourteen years.
The letter burnt, it's purpose served and it's charmed ink doing what it was created to do, keep it's information secret. Snape watched as the ash floated into the air. The specks of parchment that were still burning floating on a sudden breeze and out towards the black lake.
He focused his gaze on the form that lay at his feat. This boy had so much potential. He was getting the life he deserved. He had to keep him safe, for he was the key. He was the final gear in the machine that would be the savior of the wizarding world. He bent down to pick up the boy, gathering up the limp form in his arm. He had a pack on his back, most likely containing what few items he was aloud to keep form his former life.
Snape was sure of one thing, life was going to change and be much more interesting...
