Chapter 3 - Meeting Severus Snape
It was July 21 when Dumbledore called Professor Snape into his office. It was late at night; around 11 o'clock. Snape was walking down the hallway, his cloak billowing out behind him. He reached Dumbledore's office, told the gargoyle the password, and stepped onto the moving stairwell.
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, as usual, when Snape walked in. "Ah, Severus," he said, "I believe you got my message?"
"Yes," Snape replied shortly.
"Very well," Dumbledore continued, "Might as well get down to business. She is, of course, my cousin. Her name is Jamie Gabrielle Dumbledore. She will have access to the Dumbledore vault in Gringotts. She might seem a little off, but if you demonstrate any spell to her, I'll gurantee she will believe you. Now, here is her key for Gringotts," Dumbledore handed a key to Severus, "It's right next to the Lestrange vault. You should know where that is, am I correct?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Snape replied.
"Very well. You will be apparating to the orphanage in the afternoon tomorrow. Goodnight, Severus," Dumbledore bid Snape a goodnight, and then Dumbledore went to bed himself. Snape tucked the key in his cloak pocket. Snape then left the office and went to his quarters for a good night's rest.
~The Next Day~
Snape apparated to the orphanage the next day with her Gringotts key stored in his cloak. He took brisk steps towards the door, knocked twice, and backed up. Just after he backed up, the old lady appeared at the door.
"May I help you?" she said in a sickly sweet voice.
"I'm here to pick up and take Miss Jamie Dumbledore. May I come in?" Snape drawled.
The old lady's eyes widened. "Oh-yes, come on in. I expect you would like to look at her file?"
"No, I just want to take her. There is no need for her files."
"Well, alright. I'll just go and get her then." Snape nodded curtly. Then the old lady walked down the narrow halllway, leading to Jamie's room.
Jamie was laying down on her bed in the orphanage. It was 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and she had already finished all her chores. She was sitting there, thinking of life if her parents were alive. Would her mom have the same hair as her? Did she have her dad's eyes, or her moms? Would her life be different? Would she have actually made friends? All of those questions were running through her mind when the old lady knocked on her door.
"Jamie dear," the old lady called out sweetly to her from the door, too sweetly. "Someone is here to see you."
Jamie shot off her bed immediatley. "Someone's here to see me?" She was in pure shock. When some people came by to adopt, they would always skip over her. Not taking a second glance at all. She was shocked, but excited at the same time. Maybe she would finally be leaving the orphanage.
She followed the old lady out of the room and down the hallway. When she walked out, she saw a man. He was dressed in all black, matching his eyes and hair, which seemed like it could use a good wash. He looked intimidating, but something about him made Jamie trust him.
"Well, here she is. Now, we can go and fill out the paper work," the old lady said.
The man followed the old lady into her office. Jamie just followed, guessing that she was suppose to, until the door almost slammed shut in her face. She dighed, then sat down against the wall.
Was she really going to leave? Did this man want her, or have to take her? If she was leaving, where was she going? Was she going to a new school? If she did, would she make friends? These questions were coursing through her mind as the man in black reopened the door again.
"Well, we're leaving. Good bye," the man said to the old lady. He grabbed Jamie by the elbow, not rudely, but still firmly. He led Jamie to the door and opened it. Then Jamie spoke.
"What about my stuff?"
"It's already at Hogwarts as we speak," he drawled out.
"What's Hogwarts?" Jamie asked with a look of utter confusion on her face. They were walking along the sidewalk down towards the park.
"The school you will be attending for the next seven years of your life," he said casualy. "Hogwarts is a school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Miss Dumbledore, you are a witch."
At first Jamie thought of it as an insult, but my the man's facial expression, he was serious. She then thought it was perposterous, but then she thought how it made sense. The things that happened with Roger and Karen, it spoke again.
"So, does that mean I can do, like, magic?"
The man sighed. "Of course you can do magic, that's the whole purpose of the school."
"Well, can you show me something then?"
The man then took out a black staight wooden stick and gave it a wave. Out of the stick came a wispy smoke, which then turned into a doe. It was transparent, but yet it was galloping around her. She let out a small giggle, but then the doe disappeared. The man put the stick back into his pocket.
"What was that? Thing thing you made that doe with?" she asked.
"It's a wand. You will get one of your own once we get to London."
"Wait, London? As in London, England?" she asked. She may not have gone to school, but that didn't stop her from teaching herself how to read and write.
"Yes. Now, here is your letter." He handed Jamie a yellow envelope with emerald writting on it. She opened it to find three letters inside.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss Dumbledore,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
The second page said:
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
And the third letter said:
Jamie,
This may come as a shock, but you do have living relatives. Two, actually. I'm your cousin and my brother is your granddfather. Your story will be told to you by the man who gave you this letter, Severus Snape. He will escort you to Diagon Alley, where you will purchase your supplies for school. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Severus. I will meet with you after the Sorting.
With love,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
She was in utter shock. She had relatives? Not just one, but two?Why was this kept a secret? What really happened to her parents? She was going to ask the man, Severus Snape, what had happened to them.
"Your name is Severus?" she asked.
"Yes. Why, is there a problem with it?" he asked in a monotone voice.
"No, it's just I've never heard that name before. All these names I'm seeing on these papers, they just sound... different."
"Well, different is normal in the Wizarding World. You might as well get use to it," He said and then stopped. They had walked through the park and all the way over the hill and through some trees. Laying on the ground was a old teacup.
"What are we doing here?" Jamie asked.
"We are going to be taking a portkey, a random object that can teleport you to a different location that it is set to. All you have to do is touch it." Severus Snape then walked over to the old and chipped teacup and bent down to touch it. He then waved Jamie over and had her touch it.
"Now, count to three," he said.
"One," Jamie started. "Two, Three." Immediatley, she felt as if she were being sucked through the air, making her stomach twist. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. She landed on the ground on her butt, while Severus glided down gracefully.
"Why exactly did I crash land onto the ground?" Jamie asked, just a tad bit annoyed.
"It's because you've never taken a portkey before. You will get use to it after some time."
"Wait, I might have to take one of those again?" Jamie asked.
"Only if you're forced to or willing to. Now, if you will follow me, I will show you where you will be staying tonight," he said. They walked down a narrow alleyway, then Severus stopped in front of a door with a sign hanging above it of a witch stirring a cauldron. Many of the people that walked past, and that was very few, didn't even look at the door.
"Severus," Jamie started, "Can people see this door?"
"Only witches and wizards can see this door. Not muggles."
"What're muggles?" Jamie asked.
"Muggles are people without the ability to do magic. Now follow me and hold all the questionns for later." Severus then led her through the door. On the other side of the door was an old diner it seemed. There was a bar and many chairs and tables, but only a few were led her over to the bar, where a man was cleaning a wine glass at.
"Well, isn't this a pleasent surprise," the man behind the bar said, "Severus Snape and, well, who is this?"
"Her name's Jamie and I do believe Dumbledore sent a letter over explaining she needs a room?" Severus asked with mild curiousity. Jamie was just standing there, looking around the small pub in amazment. The tables were cleaning themselves after the person there left them, and then the chairs would go up onto the tables all on their own.
"Jamie? Is this the Jamie?" Tom asked in astonishment.
"Yes, now will you show her to her room? She needs to change her clothes into something... less dirty."
"Yes, yes, of course." Tom then guided Jamie to her new room. When she first walked in, she was coughing. It seemed as if that room hadn't been inhabited in a while.
"Your clothes are already in the drawers. If you need anything, just ask me. You might want to hurry though, Severus isn't the most patient man in the Wizarding World." Tom smiled. "I'll be right outside, Miss Dumbledore." Tom then left. Jamie was staring wide-eyed at the door. How had he know her name when neither her or Severus said it? It must've been in that letter they were talking about, Jamie thought.
She quickly changed into a pair of blue skinny jeans and a blue Mickey Mouse sweatshirt. She walked back out and Tom escorted her back to Severus.
"Well Miss Dumbledore," Tom said as they finally reached Severus, who was sitting at a table reading a newspaper, "I officially welcome you to the Leaky Cauldron."
Jamie nodded in thanks and then sat acroos from Severus. She gasped when she saw the picture on the front cover of the newspaper move. Severus then bent the paper over to look at her with a raised eyerbow.
"What's wrong now?" he asked.
"That picture just moved!" she said, pointing to the cover of the paper. Severus sighed and sat the paper down on the table.
"The pictures are suppose to move. This is the Daily Prophet, a newspaper ran by the Ministry of Magic. Anything else you would like to ask?" Severus asked, but didn't seem like he wanted her to answer 'yes'.
"Yeah, like, what is Hogwarts about? What kind of subjects are there? Who are the teachers? Is there a uniform?" Jamie had forgotten to ask about her parents, yet again.
"Hogwarts is a school for Witchcraft and Wizardry, I already said that. There is a uniform, depending on which house you get. A house is where the Sorting Hat sorts you. The houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I am the Head of Slytherin are many subject, but you will be taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions-which I teach-Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy, and you will have flying lessons. I'm slightly surprised you still haven't asked me about your parents."
"Oh! I was getting to that," Jamie tried to cover up.
"Well, your mother and father were both a witch and wizard. They both attended Hogwarts, your mother was in Ravenclaw and your father in Gryffindor. They went into hiding when Voldemort, a dark wizard-I'll explain later-was hunting them down. Your mother became preganet with you during this time. Then, your father was apparently alone in the safe house they were assigned, but Voldemort found them. They had a Secret Keeper. His name was Barty Crouch Jr., but your parent's did not know he was a follower of Voldemort. So Voldemort killed your father that night." He stopped for a minute to let it sink in with Jamie.
"So," Jamie said quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap. "How did my mother die?"
"Well, almost the same way your father did. Dumbledore, who is your cousin, sent her to a house in Salem, Oregon. You and her lived there for a few months. Then Voldemort came and found you two on the night before Halloween. He killed your mother, and was about to kill you," Jamie cringed, "But your cousin came and saved you. He had to put you in the orphanage so you would be protected. Voldemort was defeated the next night."
Jamie was shocked about it all, but two questions were in her mind. "Who is Voldemort exactly, and who defeated him?" Jamie asked Severus.
"Voldemort was a very Dark wizard. He tortured people for fun. He thought that if he killed all of the muggleborns-wizards and witches with non-magical parents-the half-bloods-witches and wizards with either one magical parent or one muggleborn parent and a pureblood parent-that he would be cleaning the world of all of its dirt and living in a 'pure society'. A pureblood is a witch or wizard with both magical parents. The person who defeated Voldemort was just a baby. His birthday is the day before yours, I believe. His name is Harry Potter. His parents were also killed by Voldemort."
Jamie couldn't help but feel sympathy for this Harry Potter. He had to live without his parents too. Maybe if she saw him at Hogwarts, they could become friends. And that was another thing all in itself. Making friends. How exactly was she suppose to do that? She never really had a friend in her whole entire short life. Maybe she wouldn't have any friends, and be one of those bookworms. No, she thought, it's going to be different there. Everything is going to be different.
I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! My school and me have been having this war called "The Grades", and schools winning. -_- Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! Please excuse any typos, little big anxious with my life right now, so typos are to be expected. PLEASE REVIEW! It always makes an author's day(: Well, I'm also sorry to say updates won't be very frequent, but I'll try to get chapters up as fast as I can!
P.S. There's a poll on my profile that you guys can vote for on which house Jamie should be in. You can only see in on the regular website, though, not on the mobile. :)
P.S.S. Snape might seem normal in this chapter, but there's a reason behind it. Don't you guys worry, he will soon turn into Mr. Cold and Annoying Severus Snape soon. xD
