Chapter 3 - See How I Transformed This Old Bat ...


"Minerva, what the devil is going on with this replacement of mine!" McGonagall dropped
her pen wearily, not bothering to look up from the papers on her desk.

"Good morning, Severus."

"No good mornings, Minerva. I'm forming a nasty picture of the man in my head, one which
I don't find very agreeable!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Professor Snape. I was under the impression that you've already
familiarized yourself with the new professor -"

"I most certainly have not!"

"-who happens to be a woman." She finished, rather brusquely. A new picture was now
forming in his mind, possibly more dreadful and loathing than the first. Severus soured.

"I'm not liking this, no, not at all … frightening, eerie, creepy, unnerving, ghoulish - seems as
if you've replaced me with a gorgon!

"Not dissimilar to names I've heard you termed by the students, Severus." He scowled.
"Rest assured we've not appointed a gorgon. If we wanted to scare the poor children, we'd
never have moved you. And the girl's nigh past 25."

"… You must be joking." The figment of his imagination had burst, leaving behind a foggy
blankness. "A child?" he thought for a moment, expression darkening.

"The Headmaster always has his own reasons."

"What's her name?"

"Tome. Now-"

"Given name, I mean."

"It was Ophelia. No - yes. It's Ophelia. Or - Now if you'll kindly excuse me, I was in the
middle of something when you so kindly barged in."

Grumbling a muffled good-bye, Severus found himself alone in the corridor. It was
unsettling. Without the students, the only sound echoing off the walls was pure, stifling
silence. Not even the wind could penetrate the blanket of quiet which enveloped the halls.
Severus moved suddenly to return to his office, but the sound of his shoes against the tile
was grating; he slowed his pace until barely a scratch could be heard.

But something, a familiar noise, was wafting towards him, faintly resounding against the wide
passage. Again - the organ music.

A child.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Snape broke out of his pensive state and hurried
toward the source of the music.

Note: Yesh, I know that was goddamned short, but I'm goddamned lazy. In the morning I'll
upload the next chapter. Yes, he does meet her in the next chapter.