Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter books, everything from them is J.K. Rowling's brilliant work, not mine. I did create Alix and the plot however.

Author's Note – There are over a zillion fan-fics on fanfic.net. I haven't had the time to read all of them yet. So if there is similarities between other fics and my story, it is coincidental.

Sorry it took so long guys, major case of writer's block.

One of my favorite poems…

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There, through the broken branches, go

The ravens of unresting thought;

Flying, crying, to and fro,

Cruel claws and hungry throat,

Or else they stand and sniff the wind,

And shake their ragged wings; Alas!

Thy tender eyes grow all unkind:

Gaze no more in the bitter glass.

~ The Two Trees by W.B. Yeats

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The Keystone

Ravens of unresting thought

Severus Snape was not happy. The portraits winced and some even cowered in their frames as he stalked furiously past in a blur of black robes. A letter was clenched tightly in his hand.

Wherever he was, Albus Dumbledore was a dead man.

"Sugar Quill!"

He snarled at the gargoyle guarding the door. It jumped hastily aside. The angry potions master stormed up the spiraling staircase and banged on the brass knocker.

"Come in, Severus."

He flung open the door. Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, eating a revoltingly sweet looking candy and stroking his familiar, Fawkes.

Snape pointed an accusing finger at the headmaster.

"You! How could you-You know I-"

He was cut short by Albus's calm voice.

"Tea? Earl Grey is your favorite, isn't it?"

"Bribery is not going to work, you old-"

"Two cups it is!"

Disgusted, Snape threw the letter down on the desk and watched with narrowed eyes as Albus busied himself making tea.

"Sit."

"I am no dog."

But Severus sat anyway and took the cup offered to him.

"Now what's troubling you?"

Severus waved at the letter. Picking it up, Albus began to read out loud.

"Severus,

Hogwarts has accepted Alixandra Sharrp, a seventeen-year-old girl from the United States. She will come to Hogwarts, be tutored throughout summer and depending on her evaluation, be placed in a house and a year.

You are probably reading this and asking what it has to do with you. Well, it has much, you see. It seems all the other teachers are going on a well-deserved vacation for a month or two and I have much paperwork. So that leaves you. You need to tutor her for that time that the teachers are gone.

If you have any objection to this, please respond by June first (as that is the day before she arrives).

~ Albus"

The headmaster looked up at him.

"I see no problem with it."

Snape growled.

"I do. I got this letter today, on June second. Any ideas on how this happened?"

Albus frowned and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"No, not really. "

He was rewarded with a slight coloring and the rarity of seeing his potions master temporarily speechless.

"Dumbledore, I don't even know who this girl is. How do we know she's not a supporter?"

"She comes from a family of muggles, Severus. They didn't even know who Voldemort was. Their house was burned down-"

Severus interrupted.

"Why are they different than all the other muggles? Why not let them think it was just a fire?"

"The damned shall rise and be the start…Does that mean anything to you?"

The potions master blinked.

"No, why?"

Dumbledore looked disappointed. There was a knock on the door and Dumbledore rose from his chair.

"That should be them, Severus. I will explain things to everyone. Be nice."

Minerva McGonagall stepped into the room, leading five people. A man stepped forward, hand outstretched. Dumbledore shook it.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts."

"John Sharrp, my wife, Elaine, and our children, Gregory, Benjamin, and Alixandra."

Alix looked around in a sort of awed curiosity. The room was big and circular. Portraits adorned the wall, their subjects moving about. The headmaster was speaking again and Alix snapped back to attention.

"Oh and forgive me, this is our potions teacher, Severus Snape."

Her father politely offered his hand and (with some reluctance, she noticed) the man shook it. Alix could see why her father was less enthusiastic.

The man was dressed all in black. His face was pale and sallow, giving the impression that he had not slept in a long time or he was ill. Long black greasy locks framed his pale face. His nose was hooked, broken at least a few times and it was obvious that he didn't want to be here.

His gaze turned to her and she found herself staring into cold black eyes. They were blank and emotionless. They repelled her and yet at the same time, she had a strange desire to probe into his mind, see what he was thinking. He sneered at her, his top lip curling. Her eyebrow rose, how childish for a professor.

The stare intensified as he mimicked her action. Both refused to break the deadlock.

"Alix-"

Startled, she looked up at the headmaster.

"Hmm?"

He gave her a small smile and a wink. Alix looked sheepishly.

"As, I was saying, Alix will be studying everyday in the library and with some of our professors. But, all the teachers are having a rest for a month or so. Well, not all of them, since Professor Snape has declined to go, he will have to start you off."

Alix stared at him, but Dumbledore went on.

"At the end of summer, we will test Alix and place her in a house and a year. Now, I have some questions for you. Alix, when ministry wizards fired the stunning spell, you managed to stop it. Was that the first time you've done magic?"

"Yes. But what I don't get is how I knew the spell…"

"Yes, yes, that is quite odd. Is anyone else in your family magical?"

There was awkward silence.

"Uh, I don't know actually. I'm adopted and never knew my parents."

Dumbledore fell silent for a second.

"Well, you might want to go unpack. We've sent all your things up to your rooms. I have much research to do. I'll have Severus take you up. Severus, you know where it is? Those rooms behind the painting of Merlin?"

Professor Snape nodded, stood and headed out the office. The Sharrp family followed, trying to keep up with his long strides. It seemed that they climbed dozens of staircases and walked for miles before they reached a painting of an elderly wizard holding a staff.

"Choose any password you like, just tell him."

Snape jabbed a finger at the portrait. He turned to go, but turned around.

"Miss Sharrp, I will give you tomorrow morning to find your way around. At three o'clock sharp, we will meet in my office. Be on time, I do not tolerate tardiness. "

And then he was gone in a fury of black robes.

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Oh for those of you interested, I am probably going to post another story. But it will be on fictionpress.net. And if you want to read the whole poem, go to www.online-literature.com/yeats/819/.