Chapter 2: Bad News for Snape
May 11, 2003
Summary: Professor Snape receives a letter and preparations are made.
Rating: Still G!
Author's Notes: I greatly admire those authors who are writing a new chapter every day. Let me state now, I am not one of them. I'll try my hardest to put up a new chapter at least once a week. Scout's honor! And yes, it's much shorter chapter. The next one should be longer.
Disclaimer: Still not mine. *sigh* But hey, look on the bright side, only 41 days left!
Professor Severus Snape was idly walking the ground of Hogwarts, enjoying the peace and quiet that would be shattered in less than a week when the students arrived. A loud screech caught his attention and he looked up to see a large owl swooping towards him. The first thing the potions master noticed was that it was not a type of owl that could be found in England. The second thing he noticed was the letter it was carrying. The owl dropped the letter and soared back into the sky, making a beeline for the owlery.
Snape watched it go, then looked at the letter. He turned it over in his hands, examining it. The handwriting was unfamiliar, as was the wax seal stamped on the back. He was immediately suspicious. After carefully opening the envelope, he unfolded the letter. The signature at the bottom of the second page was that of a Kara Aikens, whom Snape recalled as having been his sister Sera's best friend at Hogwarts. If he remembered correctly, Kara had moved to the States soon after his sister and brother-in-law. With a growing dread, Snape began to read the letter.
"Dear Severus," it began, "I realize it has been over a decade since we last spoke, but something has happened…"
"Albus!" came an anguished roar from the bottom of the staircase leading up to the headmaster's office. Albus Dumbledore looked up from the stack of parent letters he was answering. It was amazing just how many parents waited until the last minute to send him questions and concerns they had. Heavy footsteps stormed up the stairs until at last the door was thrown open, revealing the school's potions master, looking more upset than Dumbledore had ever seen him.
"Severus, what –" He was interrupted as the man thrust a letter under his nose.
"Read this," he commanded. Dumbledore took the letter from the noticeably trembling hand and proceeded to read as Snape paced in front of the desk. Finally he put the letter down, removed his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Severus, I am so sorry," the headmaster said after a minute. The younger man did not stop his pacing.
"I've had very little contact with her in the past fifteen years," Snape began agitatedly, "ever since she discovered I carried the dark mark. I tried to explain about the spying, but you remember Sera, very strong-willed. She believes what she wants." As he spoke, Snape unconsciously rubbed at his arm where he had carried the mark until Voldemort's demise. "She sent me a short note when she and William were married, almost ten years ago, but other than that…"
Dumbledore had never seen the man look so helpless. They were both silent for a minute, lost in their own thoughts.
"What about…?" Snape asked suddenly, gesturing at the letter.
"We will begin making preparations," Dumbledore answered grimly. "Go contact Kara and make the arrangements. I will gather the rest of the staff for a meeting. We haven't much time before the students begin to arrive."
As he'd expected, the rest of Hogwarts' professors were less than pleased by the meeting. Several of them were saddened to learn of the deaths, as they remembered William and Sera from when they had been students. Others were concerned over the changes that would be needed to fulfill Sera's request. Only after Dumbledore assured them that little would change, for them anyways, did they calm down.
"This meeting was mostly just to fill all of you in on the situation," Dumbledore concluded. The other professors nodded and rose to leave the room.
"Severus," Madam Pomfrey said as she exited, "if you need any help, let me know." Snape just scowled at the kind offer. Soon the room was empty except for Dumbledore and Snape.
"Is everything ready?" the potions master asked, still sounding quite disgruntled. The headmaster nodded.
"I've taken the liberty of adding a few extra wards that aren't usually necessary with children of school age. You've had an extra room added to your chambers. Everyone in the school has been notified. I believe we are ready." Snape actually doubted that very much, but it didn't seem possible to be any more prepared, at least physically. Mentally, he wasn't so sure. Damn it, Sera, he thought to himself, how could you leave me like this?
The next day was September the first, and everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the students for the new term. Everyone expect Snape, that is, who spent the day wandering around the castle aimlessly, scowling at anyone who crossed his path. It was early evening before the train whistle could be heard echoing in from Hogsmeade as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, loaded with students.
It would take them all a while to make it up to the castle, so Snape took his time in making it to the Entrance Hall. He knew his absence from the professor's table would be a cause for conversation amongst the students, and smiled wickedly at the thought of disappointing the lot of them when he showed up anyway. By the time the man made it to the Entrance Hall, most of the students had passed into the Great Hall. He kept to the shadows and watched the small girl who was left standing there, staring wide-eyed at everything.
To my lovely reviewers:
Huldufolknr1: That was an evil cliffhanger? Wow, doesn't take much for you, does it? ^_^ Maybe I'll have to put some good ones in later.
Merlinhalliwell: Thanks for the review!
Wolf: Thanks for the compliment!
Ellie: Yes, I agree that the general storyline is overdone, but mine has some differences. For one thing, Abby is only 9, too young to be a student. And the whole reason she's there is not to learn magic, but to live with her uncle. And the reason she's from California is that I'm from California and it's easier for me to write an American kid than an English one.
Narcissa: We'll be seeing how he manages. Snape doesn't strike me as having been around little kids much, so it should be interesting.
Psychadellic Flower: Thanks for reviewing!
Elrenia: I'm glad you like it so far. No, she's not a Muggle or a squib, she just hasn't been raised around magic at all. That being said though, she isn't yet of age to learn magic, so she really won't be doing any. That would be an interesting story line though…
Emma: Is there anything I could have done to make it better?
My email address is in my profile, if anyone ever has any suggestions or questions. I am doing things differently with this story, in that it is not completely written. Usually I write the story completely, and then start posting it. But this new thing means I can possibly incorporate other people's ideas, so feel free to leave them in you reviews!