Chapter Two
"Something grows in your garden-is is content?"
The next morning during breakfast, Professor McGonagall stood at the teachers table and cleared her throat, signalling for everyone to look to her. Only several Slytherin's ignored her and continued to whisper amongst themselves. She began to speak anyway:
"As you well know, the recent rise of You-Know-Who caused rather an uproar in the magical community. Like it was nearly fifteen years ago, families were divided, friends were suspicious of each other and many alliances were demolished. However, since the definite demise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the hands of our own Harry Potter—" this caused Harry's face to flush bright red "—Hogwarts is attempting to repair some of the ties that were broken so many years ago and bring the magical community back together again. And, so, I introduce to you our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher—Professor Anaïs Snape!"
A woman entered the room, her long, ebony hair cascading down her purple dress robes, making a startling contrast with her hair and with her deep blue eyes. She stared around the room for a moment, seeming to absorb everyone's attention in a single moment. She glanced at the teacher's table only to see Severus staring back at her, his expression one of utter fear.
Anaïs felt a smile cross her face at the sight of him, and he tried to hide himself unsuccessfully underneath his napkin. Still the same old Severus, she thought with a sigh. She saw Professor McGonagall beckoning her to the table, but she halted her with her hand and gestured to the door behind her. With a quick smile, McGonagall turned back to the students.
"But, I am forgetting something. May I also introduce Nicholas and Katrina Snape, her children."
A tall boy with clear blue eyes and black hair emerged from the shadows, along with a small girl who, with her light brown hair and pale green eyes, did not seem to resemble either himself or his mother. She beamed around at the student body, whilst Nicholas ignored them altogether.
Ron leaned in to Harry and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, and murmured: "Not very friendly, is he? Maybe we should sneak into his room and short-sheet his bed!"
Hermione shook her head in disapproval. "Ron, I'm going to give you about ten reasons of why you shouldn't even talk about those kinds of things! One, he could be perfectly nice, just a little nervous being with so many new people; Two—"
"But he's a Snape! What other kinds of reasons do you need?!"
"Just because his last name is Snape doesn't mean—"
"What it means, Miss High-and-Mighty, is that he deserves everything he gets!"
Harry shushed them as McGonagall began to speak once more. Hermione turned a shade of pink as she realised her favourite teacher was staring rather pointedly at her, with an annoyed look on her face. Ron rolled his eyes and, grasping his glass, gulped down the last of his pumpkin juice as the professor continued to speak.
"I'd like for you all to make them feel as much at home as is possible. We have used their previous sortings back at Durmstrang—" at this name, Hermione winced, "—to determine their house placings here. Katrina will join the ranks of Gryffindor, while Nicholas shall find his place in the house of Ravenclaw. Please, make them welcome!" McGonagall began to clap, and gestured to the others to follow. As Katrina skipped happily to a spot at the Gryffindor table, Nicholas walked slowly to the Ravenclaw table, Hermione gave Ron a pointed look and clapped heartily, while most of the houses whispered amongst themselves about the new students. Ron gave a sigh of defeat as they began to recommence their breakfasts.
Hermione was immersing herself in her now rather lukewarm eggs when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Ginny standing there, a rather excited look upon her freckled face. "Gin, what is it?" she questioned.
Ginny's face broke out into a sudden smile, and she began to whisper anxiously. "Did you see him?"
"Who?"
"HIM! You can't tell me that you didn't notice! That hair…those eyes."
Hermione had never seen Ginny in a state like this before. "Ginny, what in the world…" And then she saw who she was staring at. "Oh."
Ginny jumped. "Oh? OH?! Have you no eyes, Hermione?!"
People were starting to stare at them curiously, and Hermione felt her face flush red. "Well, I meant that 'oh' in a completely appreciative way, Gin."
The other girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever!" she sang, and she flicked her red hair over her shoulder as she returned to her seat.
Hermione shook her head in amazement. I don't even think I want to know what that was all about, she thought. She played around with her food for a minute or two, pondering the situation.
"Hey, Herm—d'you want that?"
She was brought suddenly from her reverie. "Huh?" she asked.
"Your breakfast. You've been doing everything but eating it for the past ten minutes, so I thought if you didn't want it…waste not, want not, Herm."
She sighed. "Sure, take it." Pushing her plate across the table to Ron, who was salivating at the thought of more food, she muttered, "I wasn't hungry anyway." She rested her head on the table for a moment, wondering what was wrong with the world today.
An odd burning sensation came over her back, and she sat up, startled. It felt like…eyes. She glanced behind her, to the Ravenclaw table, and saw Nicholas staring at her, a strange expression on his face. Hermione looked away, back to Gryffindor, and after a moment she felt his gaze leave her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she settled back down on the table, but something nagged at the back of her mind. His eyes… she thought, and then it occurred to her. They were full of…fear?