Not much is mentioned about Severus Snape's early life or birth. So, I am trying to tell it in my own way. It was out of a whim that I turned Irma Pince as Snape's relative. This time around, I am planning to finish it. I could have taken down the entire thing, but I didn't wish to lose those valuable reviews.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my thoughts of AU and OC, the rest all belong to J K Rowling.

Chapter 18

EVENSTAR

Evenstar, still evenstar

If this twilight thou dost shine

On a more unhappy head,

On tears lonelier than mine,

Vainer prayers and deepest sighs,

Take, sweet spirit, thou that art

Comforter of our despairs

All the prayers perforce unsaid,

All the sighs I cannot sigh,

All the tears I cannot shed;

Fill his eyes and flood his heart,

Who, my everlasting kin,

Broods, afar, unknown, apart.

Bring, ah bring him that surcease

From unsolaceable pain,

Which nor prayers, nor tears, nor sighs,

No, nor even the divine

Presence of thy eternal peace

Can, O evenstar, make mine.

~Robert Nichols~

Mayfair Nursing Home,
Cokeworth, England
January 1960

Three years old, Petunia Evans pretended to sleep, tucked in the arms of her father. She couldn't afford to fall asleep not when something so special was going to happen any moment now. She was not so sure, whether Santa would make a return trip just to drop that special gift Mum and Dad were so eagerly looking forward to for the past couple of months. She wouldn't bet her favorite popsicles with Sam, her buck-toothed neighbor either because he strongly believed storks carried babies in bundles and dropped them in Mums' and Dads' lap. If storks were to do all the job, why would Mum have to see the grinning doctors at this odd hour? She scolded herself when she nearly missed her Mum whispering her father's name.

"Steve…"

"Yes, Rosie? Do you want me to get someone? Are you…," shifting the sleeping girl in his lap the man leaned forward to listen closely to his exhausted wife's words. He was a little relieved to at least see her smile at him.

"No, love, I..just think, I know...this one is special. She is going to be the blessed one." Rosemary Evans beamed even if she was tard uncomfortable.

"Rosie, are you saying exactly what I think you are trying to tell me?" the man with stubble gaped at his wife in awe, then looked at her swollen belly. He stared back deep into her green eyes and fondly whispered in a choked voice," Then I guess, we are the blessed ones. We will do everything in our capacity to fulfill her wishes, everything to bring the gift of Magic back into our lives, isn't that your Grand Aunt asked for?"

"Yes, Steve, that's what she wished for, the only thing she ever wished for! It will be an honour to be her parents!" she gasped and grabbed at his outstretched hand.

On 30th January 1960, Lily Evans was born just close to the afternoon. She came to the world precisely at twelve past fifteen, at Mrs. Mayfair's, a little upper-end Nursing home at Cokeworth, with a hearty cry, suggesting she was a fighter through and through. But the moment the tiny baby opened her green eyes and looked at the world with a small welcoming toothless smile, she had her father and mother securely wrapped around her tiny little finger for sure.

Their other, three years older, Petunia Evans, had suddenly started feeling like a left out. Mr. and Mrs. Evans did share a meaningful, that perhaps meant, here was the daughter, they were meant to be parents of. A daughter who was deemed to be a magical being, for magic ran in their blood dormant and quiet and that she was meant to become quite famous.

Three years old Tuny had her eyes glued at the three other members of her family. That excitement with which she had rushed into her mother's maternity ward twin suite, was slowly getting replaced with a feeling of hurt, disappointment, and envy. She had a little handmade card for her new baby sister held in one of her palms, which she secretly hid behind her back.

After a whole ten minutes, when her parents were hardly looking up at her, but had all their attention at that bundle with red hair and a tiny nose, peeking out- Petunia slowly walked out and sat at the nearest waiting chair. The new sister was slowly grabbing and feeding at the lion's share of affection and attraction, which for so long only flowered at Petunia's behest.

Fiddling with the edge of the small card with glitters and sparkling stars, the little girl, sniffed and mumbled," Is she more special than me? Will mum and dad like her more? What's so special about her?" The toddler did make out the pink face and puffy eyelids and the tiny fists and concluded her Nancy, her lovable chubby doll was far healthier than the newborn with that spikey mop of red hair. For a moment she remembered, Sam's parents would be arriving shortly and take her away along with them. She was to stay with them until Grandpa and GrandMum arrived at Cokeworth by the evening train. There was a blizzard last time, by morning the whole town was covered with fresh white snow.

A rather large Raven flew up to the nearest sealed window and was curiously peering at her, tilting its head left and right and at times bobbing it as well. His jaded black feathers and coat stood out against the milky white world glittering outside. The crestfallen girl stood, then crumbling the card into a fist, threw it, after taking a calculated aim at the bird sitting at the other side of the window.

She stomped her feet and hissed at it angrily," Go away! Shoo, fly off!"

But what a mere girl of three couldn't quite make out, what any of the muggles in this snow-covered town couldn't quite realize, Nature and many of her animals and birds could sense. It was as it, the freshly born beating heart could call them in unison. It was rare, perhaps the rarest of the rare magical manifestation of the empathetic soul.

The Raven ignored the small girl who was now joined by her father. It flew to the next window and peered inside. There, right in the lap of a smiling mother was the baby, it was searching for. Sensing someone else too was watching it, the raven turned and pecked its beak at the glass window. The small girl, most definitely the jealous sibling was scowling again.

Without wasting any time, it flew off thinking and chuckling to itself, You don't stand a chance to outshine such Old Magic, Sneering Girl. You can hate it, but you can't do much about it!'

Dragon's Kelp, Appalachian Mountains,
January, 1960

Eyeing the granite basin, Rohirim Cel Cazut cleared his throat and asked," Correct me, if I am wrong, Healer Umphrey, isn't that a pensive?"

He saw both Matre Solveig and the healer exchange an amused look, then the Kelp Mistress explained," Yes, it is but, it can do more than just help you rewatch memories."

When the potioneer furrowed his eyes, Verus Umphrey explained further," A pensive is just the means through which we can see a glimpse of one's mind. But more can be accomplished through it. You can see fragments of your dreams, you can look deeper into your subconscious mind. Extracting thoughts and memories and watching it in a pensive is the easiest process."

"And the most difficult?" Cel Cezut could stop himself from asking.

Solveig smiled and replied," Study cosmic magical resources. Understand how they are manufactured and how they will perish away and give way to newer energies. Everything around us is much like a phoenix."

"Matre you mean, Cosmic Magic can cyclically regenerate itself or obtain new form by arising from the ashes of its predecessor? And we can study it?" the pale man's eyes flickered with interest and eagerness to learn something new.

Nodding in agreement she finished off,"Even one can study Time and Space. A seer's glass bowl is a controlled medium, whereas a witch or a wizard who has the capacity to control greater forms of magic can achieve the same with a pensive."

"I see, so you are certain that you can see into my dreams?" he looked once at Healer Umphrey and readily corrected himself," Well, you said you had already done that? How come... I mean I could never feel or guess?"

Solveig sighed," Cazut, there were many things that made me certain about your heritage, lineage and your magic. Neither the Kelp nor the Gallows allow outsiders to step on its lands, fly above it. Though we don't know for certain whether you are a descendant of Blake or Pyrenso. But we believe you are worthy enough to settle in the Gallows. Magic allowed you to do that. The fact that you are able to befriend the Dragons made us aware of several other things."

Healer Umphrey brought out a ceramic jug and started pouring fresh water into the empty basin. He added," You were not afraid or intrigued by them. You regarded them with honour and respect. The dragons look forward to seeing you, we could guess perhaps, you have met their long lost kins. Magic in these parts are withering away, but look at you. You remain unaffected. The ancient wards and the sacrifices of our forefathers protect us and our magic better than the Gallowers. But why would they simultaneously extend their protection to you?"

"You mean to say, ancient magic, the dragons and this whole place welcomed me all those years ago and still continue to consider me as their own because I mean something to them?" shuddering slightly Cazut asked in utter dismay.

"Indeed," The elder witch surmised.

Matre Solveig and Healer Verus Umphrey allowed both of their right hands to hover over the clear water of the black basin. With wide eyes and bated breath, Cazut watched the water start rippling, and then a steady whirlpool began to spiral up, off the brim.

"Now, I would want you to close your eyes and try to remember everything you can about the dream you saw last night. The process will be painless, but it might leave you quite exhausted. So, be prepared to spend the whole day confined to your bed fleeting in and out of sleep," Healer Umphrey assured and then asked for his permission," May I feel the pulse of your wand hand?"

For Cazut's sake, the man continued," I am going to call forth you magical resource and channel it into this swirling whirlpool. Matre Solveig will amplify the extent of it and we can watch the remnants of your dreams without having to plunge our heads into misty waters or vapours, I don't know which were the ones you read about."

"My school books mentioned mist, water and vapour. But I can understand it after all, everyone of it is a manifestation of air or water. So why can't the same be achieved by whirlpools," slightly absentminded, Cazut allowed the man to grab his wrist and tried to steady his nerves.

"Intuitive as ever, though whirlpools are feisty things to control, that is why they no longer feature in modern books. Not many of us can control it." Solveig held her palm up facing the small swriling column of the water and then said to the Healer," Ready, whenever you are."

Cazut jerked a little because all of a sudden he could hear the soft and friendly voice of Verus Umphrey inside his mind,'Fret not. It's me Verus. Relax. Now, why don't you show me the first few visions from your dream, Cazut. visa dina drömmar'

visa dina drömmar- in Swedish means Show your dreams