The news spread like rocket fire. A boy, just an infant, had managed to survive a killing curse and defeat the most dangerous wizard ever known. Neville Longbottom was now one of the most famous wizards around. Lily looked at Severus, and started smiling, then looked down at her own child, the same age as the Boy Who Lived. Harriet Snape looked much like her father, but had her mother's eyes. Bright green eyes, a long nose, and black hair that was starting to grow.

Suddenly, an owl flew through their window and landed next to Severus. It was holding a letter from Albus Dumbledore. Severus's eyebrows creased as he read the letter, then he looked back at Lily.

"I need to go," he informed her, then kissed his wife and daughter before apparating away.

Lily looked back at Harriet, and picked her up, hugging her in her arms. The baby started to cry, and Lily rocked her in her arms, singing softly.

Finally, Harriet was sleeping soundly, and Lily put her back into her crib. It was then that a witch jumped in through the open window that the owl had flown through. She had crazy black hair, a black dress, and a black wand pointed directly at Lily.

"What are you doing here, Bellatrix?" Lily growled, getting out her own wand.

"Tell me where the Dark Lord went first," snapped Bellatrix, cocking her head to the side with a demonic smirk. Lily didn't say anything. She assumed he was dead, but she didn't know for sure, and she didn't want to tell Bellatrix anything anyway.

"Go on," snarled Bellatrix, pointing her wand closer, her menacing smile and crazy eyes widening. Lily continued to stay silent, shifting in front of Harriet's crib to protect her.

"One last time: where's the Dark Lord?!" Bellatrix seemed to have forgotten that for a question to be answered, there needed to be some amount of time to actually answer the question, so she immediately cast a red light out of her wand, and Lily was flailing on the ground, screaming in pain. Bellatrix stood over her, laughing as she cast cruciatus curse after cruciatus curse, until Lily was laying unconscious on the floor. Bellatrix took one last look at her, annoyance in her eyes, before jumping out the window again.

Shortly after, Lily was found, and taken to St Mungo's, Severus joining her later, having suffered the same treatment. Harriet was found as well, and after authorities decided that living with Severus's parents would not be the best idea, because of a history of abuse, they sent Harriet to her only other living relatives, the Dursley's.

＊＊＊

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys found their niece on the front doorstep, and they had made sure Harriet never found out about the 'freaks' that were her parents. Harriet had been told her parents had died in a car crash, and she remembered asking once, "why are car crashes filled with red light?" Only to be met with a vague, annoyed answer, and then, "no asking questions!"

"Come on! Get up!" came Petunia Dursley's voice through the door to the cupboard under the stairs that Harriet called home. Harriet opens her eyes and then slowly gets up, wincing as she hits her head on the roof.

"I'll be out in a minute!" she calls back, slipping on an oversized shirt and shorts so long they could be pants. She was glad she still had a flat chest, because she doubted the Dursleys would buy her a bra, after all, they didn't really buy her any clothes at all, she just had hand me downs from her cousin, Dudley Dursley, who had clothes much bigger than Harriet. After taking a moment to mentally prepare, she opened the cupboard door and hopped out.

"I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday," said Aunt Petunia, pointing to the pan on the stove. Harriet sighed. That's right, it was Dudley's birthday. Another day of torture at Mrs Figg's house, having to listen about all her cats. Harriet's birthday had been a month ago. A boring day with nothing out of the ordinary besides receiving a tissue as a present from her generous aunt and uncle. Harriet walked past the table completely covered with presents for Dudley (somewhere in there was the present Harriet had been forced to give to Dudley—just something she had made out of little bits of string she found lying around the house), and over to cook the bacon.

"Why haven't you brushed your hair yet?" Vernon Dursley had just walked into the kitchen holding a cup of coffee and today's newspaper. Harriet flipped the sizzling bacon over.

"My hairbrush broke, remember?" Harriet pulled at her long black hair, only watching Uncle Vernon out of the corner of her eye. He was quite a big, beefy man, and had hardly any neck, he also had a large moustache.

"Be more careful next time," grunted Uncle Vernon, settling on the couch and taking a sip of coffee. Harriet went back to cooking, unconsciously biting her lower lip.

Harriet was onto the eggs went Dudley came thundering down the stairs to join them. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon, with his large pink face and small, watery eyes.

Harriet placed the bacon and eggs on the table, which was a bit of a struggle with all the presents, then sat down, watching Dudley count his gifts. Harriet could tell it was gonna happen before it did. Dudley's face fell, then scrunched up.

"Only thirty seven?! That's one less than last year!" screams Dudley. Harriet sighs. This happened every year. It was the reason Harriet had been forced to give him a present this year—to avoid another tantrum. Although clearly, it hadn't worked.

"We'll get you another two presents whilst we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that alright?" says Aunt Petunia, who, like Harriet, could smell a massive Dudley fit coming on.

"So that's thirty... thirty..." Dudley thinks, which looks like a lot of effort, but can't seem to find an answer.

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," says Aunt Petunia softly.

"Oh," Dudley sits back in his chair, "Alright then."

※ ※ ※

To Harriet's delight, it turned out that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, so Harriet didn't have to hear about Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws and Tufty for a whole other year. This meant Harriet went to the zoo with the Dursleys and Dudley's friend. As awful as it was to spend the day with Dudley and one of his minions, it was exciting to be able to go somewhere different for a change. She had been told "no funny business". It wasn't her fault she made things happen without meaning to, like somehow jumping up onto the roof of a building, and one of Dudley's ugly old jumpers somehow getting smaller every time Aunt Petunia tried to force it over Harriet's head. Things like that just happened around her. It was a lucky day today, however. She got to have a lemon icy pole, and nothing out of the ordinary happened whilst she looked at all the animals. It was actually quite a nice day, despite the torment from Dudley and his friend. But Harriet was used to that. It happened all the time at school. Harriet was glad she was going to go to an all girl's school this year, far away from Dudley. She might actually make some friends.

Time had passed normally after that, until the summer holidays arrived. And, yet again, everything was normal, except that Harriet and Dudley were getting ready for their new schools.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet on the first day at your school," says Dudley one morning, "want to go upstairs and practice?"

"No thanks," says Harriet casually, "the toilet's never had something as disgusting as your head in it before, I don't know how it'll take it." Then she runs off before Dudley realises what she said.

That evening, Dudley wears his new Smelting's uniform, and parades around the house to show it off. Harriet shakes her head, then looks over at the old shirt being dyed it the sink—what was supposed to be her uniform. She would make an excellent first impression with a uniform like that...

The next morning, Harriet and the Dursleys were eating breakfast. They could hear the click of the letter box, and the flop of letters on the doormat.

"Go and collect the mail, Dudley," says Uncle Vernon.

"Make Harriet do it," grunts Dudley, through a mouthful of food.

"Go collect the mail, Harriet," demands Uncle Vernon. Harriet doesn't even bother fighting back as she gets up and goes to the door. She flicks through the mail but her heart skips a beat as she finds one addressed, unmistakably, to her:

Ms H. Snape

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

She'd never received a letter before, and she couldn't wait. Her fingers trembling, Harriet tore open the letter and unfolded the first piece of paper.

Dear Ms Snape,

She began reading as she walked down the hall back to the dining room.

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed-

"What's that?" snaps Dudley, snatching the letter off Harriet, "Harriet was reading a letter!"

"Give it back!" Harriet tries to snatch it back, but now Uncle Vernon is trying to make a grab for it, "stop it! It's my letter!"

"No one sends letters to you," growls Uncle Vernon, still trying to pull the letter out for himself. Finally, Uncle Vernon makes the winning pull, and quickly reads it before anyone can take it back. His face drops.

"Give it back!" shouts Harriet again.

"No, I want it!" Dudley squeals.

"No one can have it," Uncle Vernon says finally, and scurries off somewhere with it. Harriet stares, gaping. It said she had a place. A place. That meant there was room for her. Scrawny little good-for-nothing Harriet. But now that had been stolen from her. Her one shot at freedom.