Severus, exhausted, opened the door to his office and collapsed in
his chair. For nearly a month straight he had tried to find Erin Kristoff.
First, he had discovered that the Coopers had moved to Wyoming. Then,
when he had finally found the Coopers, Erin was not there. She was in
Ireland as an exchange student. It took him three hours, numerous Memory
charms, and a small bottle of Truth Serum to drag this information from
Erin's foster-parents, who clearly thought that Erin was their own
daughter. He had wiped their memories one last time and journeyed to
Ireland, only to be told that Erin was now in England. She would be
spending two weeks in a hostel, the clerk had told him, before living with
her assigned family, the Dursleys.
"Dursleys," he muttered to himself, staring at the slimy green something on his desk. The name was familiar.
Finally, he had decided that he had no chance of talking to his daughter while she was in a crowded hostel. Better to wait.
Meanwhile, he needed to change for the Farewell Feast.
"Dursleys."
Two weeks later.
"Bye, Erin," called a girl from the open bus window.
"Good luck!" shouted another.
The bus drove away, leaving Erin with two bags of luggage at the driveway of 4 Privet Drive.
Erin glanced nervously behind her, then picked up her bags and marched to the front door. She flicked a strand of honey-colored hair back and pressed her finger firmly on the door bell.
For a second, nothing happened. Then Erin heard the patter of running footsteps, and a boy flung open the door. He had messy black hair, glasses, and bright green eyes. Erin noticed that his clothes were worn and obviously too big for him.
"Um, hi," she said. "Is this the Dursleys?"
"Yeah," said the boy. Erin liked his English accent. "Did you want to see somebody?"
"I'm your exchange student," said Erin, trying not to panic. What if there was a mistake?
"Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot," said the boy with a sheepish smile. "Need a hand with those bags?"
They walked up the stairs to the guest room, the boy lugging one bag and Erin the other.
"Sorry if I was kind of rude. I thought you might be one of my cousins' friends," he called back over his shoulder. The boy opened a door and dumped Erin's bag on the small, neat bed. He straightened and held out his hand.
"I'm Harry, by the way. Harry Potter," he said. Erin dropped the second bag on the floor and shook his hand.
"I'm Erin Cooper." Erin frowned suddenly. "You're not Dudley Dursley?" Harry grinned. "Heck, no. I'm his cousin."
"Are you visiting?" asked Erin as they walked down the stairs together.
Harry shook his head. "No. I've been living with my aunt and uncle for most of my life."
"That's funny," said Erin. "You weren't mentioned in the paper that described the Dursleys."
"I wouldn't be," he said. There was no bitterness in his voice - he was simply stating a fact.
Harry paused in the entrance hall. "Kitchen's that way," he said, pointing ahead. "We all sleep upstairs. I sleep in the smallest one - used to be Dudley's old storage room."
"That sucks," said Erin sympathetically.
"Not as bad as the cupboard," said Harry dryly, pointing down to a small door beneath the stairs. "I got promoted."
Erin's curiosity was all aflame, but at the moment another need was more pressing. "Um, Harry."
"Toilet's on your left," said Harry helpfully.
"Thanks!" Erin called back as she ran to it.
At this exact moment, while preparing lesson plans for the coming year, Severus Snape remembered just why the name "Dursley" had seemed familiar.
"Dursleys," he muttered to himself, staring at the slimy green something on his desk. The name was familiar.
Finally, he had decided that he had no chance of talking to his daughter while she was in a crowded hostel. Better to wait.
Meanwhile, he needed to change for the Farewell Feast.
"Dursleys."
Two weeks later.
"Bye, Erin," called a girl from the open bus window.
"Good luck!" shouted another.
The bus drove away, leaving Erin with two bags of luggage at the driveway of 4 Privet Drive.
Erin glanced nervously behind her, then picked up her bags and marched to the front door. She flicked a strand of honey-colored hair back and pressed her finger firmly on the door bell.
For a second, nothing happened. Then Erin heard the patter of running footsteps, and a boy flung open the door. He had messy black hair, glasses, and bright green eyes. Erin noticed that his clothes were worn and obviously too big for him.
"Um, hi," she said. "Is this the Dursleys?"
"Yeah," said the boy. Erin liked his English accent. "Did you want to see somebody?"
"I'm your exchange student," said Erin, trying not to panic. What if there was a mistake?
"Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot," said the boy with a sheepish smile. "Need a hand with those bags?"
They walked up the stairs to the guest room, the boy lugging one bag and Erin the other.
"Sorry if I was kind of rude. I thought you might be one of my cousins' friends," he called back over his shoulder. The boy opened a door and dumped Erin's bag on the small, neat bed. He straightened and held out his hand.
"I'm Harry, by the way. Harry Potter," he said. Erin dropped the second bag on the floor and shook his hand.
"I'm Erin Cooper." Erin frowned suddenly. "You're not Dudley Dursley?" Harry grinned. "Heck, no. I'm his cousin."
"Are you visiting?" asked Erin as they walked down the stairs together.
Harry shook his head. "No. I've been living with my aunt and uncle for most of my life."
"That's funny," said Erin. "You weren't mentioned in the paper that described the Dursleys."
"I wouldn't be," he said. There was no bitterness in his voice - he was simply stating a fact.
Harry paused in the entrance hall. "Kitchen's that way," he said, pointing ahead. "We all sleep upstairs. I sleep in the smallest one - used to be Dudley's old storage room."
"That sucks," said Erin sympathetically.
"Not as bad as the cupboard," said Harry dryly, pointing down to a small door beneath the stairs. "I got promoted."
Erin's curiosity was all aflame, but at the moment another need was more pressing. "Um, Harry."
"Toilet's on your left," said Harry helpfully.
"Thanks!" Erin called back as she ran to it.
At this exact moment, while preparing lesson plans for the coming year, Severus Snape remembered just why the name "Dursley" had seemed familiar.