Yes, I know that I suck. I could make excuses, but there really isn't any
point, other than the fact that I'm a lazy procrastinator. There, now that
that's over with, here's what's been going on with me since this was last
updated. I spent the summer working, and I started college at Appalachian
State in August. I've also celebrated my eighteenth birthday and I am now
legal here in the good ol' US of A. Order of the Phoenix was awesome, and
well worth the wait. I can't believe that she killed off Sirius. Also do to
OOP, parts of this story are now AU. The main ones that have come up so
far, is the fact that Narcissa Malfoy is obviously not Severus' sister, and
that the Snapes are not as wealthy as those of us here in fandom have
tended to believe. So, in later chapters I'm going to work out how the
Blacks are related to the Snapes, and well, in this story the Snapes are
wealthy, mainly because I say so.
Lunaria: Thanks for both of your reviews. Sorry that I didn't see your review before I posted last time. I read Bianca. Ironic that my story is a variation on one of the ideas that you discarded.
Jan McNeville: Severus would like to believe that there's something wrong with the broom, but your question is answered in this chapter. On a side note, one morning while I was driving to work, the radio station did they're daily segment called "Stupid People in the News" Apparently, sometime late last Spring, in a British museum, some school children broke a piece of fossilized "Viking poop" that was in the museum's possession. The museum then had to glue said "poop" back together. The reason that I thought that this might interest you, and anyone else reading this who has also read your stories, is that the name of the person having to put the "poop" was Julie Snape. I got this really funny picture of your Julie, bushy hair, Snape nose and all, having to glue back together the poop. Poor Julie.
Elly: Thanks for letting me know that. I did go and try again, but it still put me in Gryffindor. Maybe I'm just more Gryffindor than I think.
Rosael: Glad that you are enjoying the story. Didn't the rain just suck? I don't know where you live, but I'm from Wilmington, and it rained just about every day from July 1 until I left for school at the end of August. I guess it's just the joys of living in the South. I'm not sure where you got the idea that Elizabeth is actually Hermione, but I'm glad that you caught the connection between Chip and Hermione. It won't show up for little while more. In order to not spoil it, I won't say anything more here, but if you're interested in knowing more about that, e-mail me at Bazile2oo3@hotmail.com, and I'd be happy to tell you more.
September 14, 1983
A week had passed since the disastrous night on the broom. Severus had given the broom to Madam Hooch and Prof. Flitwick first thing Thursday morning. He had asked them to look for any jinxes, curses, hexes, a forgotten charm, anything that could have prevented the broom from flying properly. Toy brooms weren't like real brooms. They only skimmed about a foot off the ground, and they would work for anyone who was magical even if they hadn't "sparked" yet. Elizabeth hadn't sparked yet, but, as Severus told himself, many children didn't spark until they were seven or eight. She still had plenty of time.
Severus twirled the mashed potatoes around on his plate. The headmaster had asked to have a word with him after dinner. He wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous. While Albus Dumbledore was a man that held his utmost respect, and was the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, he was not someone, unless you were the Dark Lord, to be feared. But still, he felt like a first year who had just been caught brewing illicit potions in the loo. He had known the man since he was eleven years old. He had worked for him for the past year and a half. Dumbledore had apparated into his apartment two days after Voldemort's defeat and had asked him to take over as the Potions teacher and the duties of Head of Slytherin House from Bede Figg. He and his wife Arabella had been assigned some sort of duty watching over the Potter boy.
The meeting, Severus told himself, did not necessarily have to be about Elizabeth's broom. Yes, surely, he wanted to talk about lesson plans, or maybe he wanted to order new furniture for the Slytherin common room. Or it could be to discuss how the Slytherin Quidditch team's prospects for the year looked. Maybe he wanted to put on a school play and wanted him to direct it. His mind was rolling with reasons that Albus would want to meet with him other than to talk about Elizabeth.
But Flitwick, Hooch, and McGonagall kept giving him pitying looks, like they knew something bad that affected him but no one had bothered to tell him. Maybe he was going to be fired. His mind leapt to that as a good thing. Being fired was infinitely more welcome than being told that Elizabeth was a, no he wouldn't even think that word. She couldn't be. He wouldn't allow it. Yes, he was going to lose his job. Somewhere Amanda was out there laughing at him. If she were here, she would be calm and would be announcing that they would get through this. He was not an optimist. He wasn't a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff for a reason. He was a pessimistic Slytherin with a few Ravenclaw tendencies for a reason. He tended to see the worst in every situation. He wasn't sure what he would do if she was a you-know-what. Damn he needed Amanda. He sighed and stood up.
"Lizzie, are you finished?"
"Yes, sir. Why?"
"We need to go back home, Charlie Weasley has a detention tonight and I need to talk with Professor Dumbledore."
"Charlie has a detention. Yayyy!" Elizabeth was bouncing up and down in her chair with excitement. "He's fun!"
"Yes," Severus agreed.
"Severus,"
"Yes Minerva." He turned to look at his former professor.
"Have you ever considered the fact that any of the students that you assign detentions to whenever you need a babysitter, would gladly watch Elizabeth in exchange for a few sickles or for House Points. You do realize that you are the only one to assign detentions to Charlie Weasley, Aneice Trivette, Lara Winkler, and Carmen Valade."
"Yes, Minerva, I really must be."
"Do you not realize that they have never received a detention from anyone but you?" the elderly witch pressed on.
"That does not bother me." Severus took his daughter by the hand and left the Great Hall.
After getting Charlie Weasley settled with Elizabeth, and making sure that he remembered the rules, bed by 8:30, no sweets before bed, no more than one story once she was in bed, no going visiting or inviting friends over, and no using the floo except in emergencies, Severus set off through the halls of Hogwarts for the headmaster's office. He knew that he worried too much, but dammit, Lizzie was all that he had left. No one was going to hurt her.
He had reached the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office.
"Blood pop," he muttered as the gargoyle jumped aside. Severus climbed the spiral staircase and knocked once on the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Severus, come in. Sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?
"No thank you."
"Sherbet lemon?"
"No Albus. What was it that you wished to speak to me about?"
"Severus, Fillius and Xiomara couldn't find anything wrong with Elizabeth's broom."
"There has to be something wrong with that broom." Severus' voice was cold as ice. " It didn't work. Obviously something was wrong with it."
Dumbledore stood up and walked over to a short table. He picked up an old, leather bound book, and walked back over to his desk. He flipped through the pages, stopping close to the end. He turned the book around so that Severus could read it.
"Severus, look. This should explain everything." Severus looked down at the book.
"Malfoy, Draco. October 19, 1979. Brown, Lavender. November 12,1979. Finch- Fletchly, Justin. November 29,1979." His eyes ran down the list, and he flipped the page. Names jumped out at him. "Parkinson, Pansy. February 17, 1980. Weasley, Ronald. March 4,1980." His eyes kept going. He flipped the page again. "Longbottom, Neville. July 29,1980. Potter, Harry. July 31, 1980." He scanned down to the bottom of the page where he knew Elizabeth's name shoul, no would be. "Thomas, Dean. August 27, 1980. Boot, Terry. September 1, 1980. Zambini, Blaise. September 4, 1980. Granger, Hermione. September 19, 1980." He looked back up the page. Elizabeth should have been between Zambini and Granger. Her birthday was September 7, 1980. No, her name wasn't there. The book went from September 4, to September 19. There was nothing in between.
"Albus. There is something wrong with your book. Elizabeth's name is not in it."
"Severus. When Fillius and Xiomara could not find anything wrong with the broom they came to me and asked if they could check the registry book. Naturally, I agreed. Severus," Dumbledore sat down his teacup and looked Severus in the eyes, "as much as it pains me to say it, Elizabeth is a squib."
Severus stood up. He picked up the book and threw it across the office.
"That is impossible," he snarled. The Snape family can be traced back generations as purebloods. And despite the fact that Amanda was American, her family's as pure as any here in Britain. The Bellfoy's can be traced back to the founding of Jamestown, and despite the fact that Lucius will never admit it, until then the Bellfoy's and the Malfoy's were one and the same. And no one has ever questioned that they are not pureblooded."
"Severus. No one has questioned whether or not Elizabeth is a pureblood. But the fact remains; she's a squib. I know this is difficult. And I am sorry, but there is nothing that can be done."
"Albus, how the hell can she be a squib? What have I done to deserve this? Isn't it enough that I lost Amanda, do I have to have the life of my daughter destroyed as well? Do you have a single bloody clue as to how squibs are treated?" He didn't even wait for a response. "They're treated like shit. Like they're second class citizens. The only jobs available are those of servitude. That's not the type of life that I want for her."
Severus took a deep breath. "Headmaster," he said in quite, cold voice. "I should not have raised my voice. If you'll excuse me, I shall see you in the morning. Good evening, Headmaster." He turned and walked out of the room.
Dumbledore shook his head, and picked out a new sherbet lemon. "Severus my boy," he said to the empty room, "you have got a long road ahead of you.
"Mr. Weasley, your detention is over. You may leave."
"Professor, Elizabeth was."
"Mr. Weasley, when I said that you might leave, I meant for you to do it. Now, get out," he snapped.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm leaving." With that Charlie ran for the door.
As soon as the door closed behind Charlie, Severus sat down on his couch an bawled like a baby for the first time in three years.
Lunaria: Thanks for both of your reviews. Sorry that I didn't see your review before I posted last time. I read Bianca. Ironic that my story is a variation on one of the ideas that you discarded.
Jan McNeville: Severus would like to believe that there's something wrong with the broom, but your question is answered in this chapter. On a side note, one morning while I was driving to work, the radio station did they're daily segment called "Stupid People in the News" Apparently, sometime late last Spring, in a British museum, some school children broke a piece of fossilized "Viking poop" that was in the museum's possession. The museum then had to glue said "poop" back together. The reason that I thought that this might interest you, and anyone else reading this who has also read your stories, is that the name of the person having to put the "poop" was Julie Snape. I got this really funny picture of your Julie, bushy hair, Snape nose and all, having to glue back together the poop. Poor Julie.
Elly: Thanks for letting me know that. I did go and try again, but it still put me in Gryffindor. Maybe I'm just more Gryffindor than I think.
Rosael: Glad that you are enjoying the story. Didn't the rain just suck? I don't know where you live, but I'm from Wilmington, and it rained just about every day from July 1 until I left for school at the end of August. I guess it's just the joys of living in the South. I'm not sure where you got the idea that Elizabeth is actually Hermione, but I'm glad that you caught the connection between Chip and Hermione. It won't show up for little while more. In order to not spoil it, I won't say anything more here, but if you're interested in knowing more about that, e-mail me at Bazile2oo3@hotmail.com, and I'd be happy to tell you more.
September 14, 1983
A week had passed since the disastrous night on the broom. Severus had given the broom to Madam Hooch and Prof. Flitwick first thing Thursday morning. He had asked them to look for any jinxes, curses, hexes, a forgotten charm, anything that could have prevented the broom from flying properly. Toy brooms weren't like real brooms. They only skimmed about a foot off the ground, and they would work for anyone who was magical even if they hadn't "sparked" yet. Elizabeth hadn't sparked yet, but, as Severus told himself, many children didn't spark until they were seven or eight. She still had plenty of time.
Severus twirled the mashed potatoes around on his plate. The headmaster had asked to have a word with him after dinner. He wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous. While Albus Dumbledore was a man that held his utmost respect, and was the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, he was not someone, unless you were the Dark Lord, to be feared. But still, he felt like a first year who had just been caught brewing illicit potions in the loo. He had known the man since he was eleven years old. He had worked for him for the past year and a half. Dumbledore had apparated into his apartment two days after Voldemort's defeat and had asked him to take over as the Potions teacher and the duties of Head of Slytherin House from Bede Figg. He and his wife Arabella had been assigned some sort of duty watching over the Potter boy.
The meeting, Severus told himself, did not necessarily have to be about Elizabeth's broom. Yes, surely, he wanted to talk about lesson plans, or maybe he wanted to order new furniture for the Slytherin common room. Or it could be to discuss how the Slytherin Quidditch team's prospects for the year looked. Maybe he wanted to put on a school play and wanted him to direct it. His mind was rolling with reasons that Albus would want to meet with him other than to talk about Elizabeth.
But Flitwick, Hooch, and McGonagall kept giving him pitying looks, like they knew something bad that affected him but no one had bothered to tell him. Maybe he was going to be fired. His mind leapt to that as a good thing. Being fired was infinitely more welcome than being told that Elizabeth was a, no he wouldn't even think that word. She couldn't be. He wouldn't allow it. Yes, he was going to lose his job. Somewhere Amanda was out there laughing at him. If she were here, she would be calm and would be announcing that they would get through this. He was not an optimist. He wasn't a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff for a reason. He was a pessimistic Slytherin with a few Ravenclaw tendencies for a reason. He tended to see the worst in every situation. He wasn't sure what he would do if she was a you-know-what. Damn he needed Amanda. He sighed and stood up.
"Lizzie, are you finished?"
"Yes, sir. Why?"
"We need to go back home, Charlie Weasley has a detention tonight and I need to talk with Professor Dumbledore."
"Charlie has a detention. Yayyy!" Elizabeth was bouncing up and down in her chair with excitement. "He's fun!"
"Yes," Severus agreed.
"Severus,"
"Yes Minerva." He turned to look at his former professor.
"Have you ever considered the fact that any of the students that you assign detentions to whenever you need a babysitter, would gladly watch Elizabeth in exchange for a few sickles or for House Points. You do realize that you are the only one to assign detentions to Charlie Weasley, Aneice Trivette, Lara Winkler, and Carmen Valade."
"Yes, Minerva, I really must be."
"Do you not realize that they have never received a detention from anyone but you?" the elderly witch pressed on.
"That does not bother me." Severus took his daughter by the hand and left the Great Hall.
After getting Charlie Weasley settled with Elizabeth, and making sure that he remembered the rules, bed by 8:30, no sweets before bed, no more than one story once she was in bed, no going visiting or inviting friends over, and no using the floo except in emergencies, Severus set off through the halls of Hogwarts for the headmaster's office. He knew that he worried too much, but dammit, Lizzie was all that he had left. No one was going to hurt her.
He had reached the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office.
"Blood pop," he muttered as the gargoyle jumped aside. Severus climbed the spiral staircase and knocked once on the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Severus, come in. Sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?
"No thank you."
"Sherbet lemon?"
"No Albus. What was it that you wished to speak to me about?"
"Severus, Fillius and Xiomara couldn't find anything wrong with Elizabeth's broom."
"There has to be something wrong with that broom." Severus' voice was cold as ice. " It didn't work. Obviously something was wrong with it."
Dumbledore stood up and walked over to a short table. He picked up an old, leather bound book, and walked back over to his desk. He flipped through the pages, stopping close to the end. He turned the book around so that Severus could read it.
"Severus, look. This should explain everything." Severus looked down at the book.
"Malfoy, Draco. October 19, 1979. Brown, Lavender. November 12,1979. Finch- Fletchly, Justin. November 29,1979." His eyes ran down the list, and he flipped the page. Names jumped out at him. "Parkinson, Pansy. February 17, 1980. Weasley, Ronald. March 4,1980." His eyes kept going. He flipped the page again. "Longbottom, Neville. July 29,1980. Potter, Harry. July 31, 1980." He scanned down to the bottom of the page where he knew Elizabeth's name shoul, no would be. "Thomas, Dean. August 27, 1980. Boot, Terry. September 1, 1980. Zambini, Blaise. September 4, 1980. Granger, Hermione. September 19, 1980." He looked back up the page. Elizabeth should have been between Zambini and Granger. Her birthday was September 7, 1980. No, her name wasn't there. The book went from September 4, to September 19. There was nothing in between.
"Albus. There is something wrong with your book. Elizabeth's name is not in it."
"Severus. When Fillius and Xiomara could not find anything wrong with the broom they came to me and asked if they could check the registry book. Naturally, I agreed. Severus," Dumbledore sat down his teacup and looked Severus in the eyes, "as much as it pains me to say it, Elizabeth is a squib."
Severus stood up. He picked up the book and threw it across the office.
"That is impossible," he snarled. The Snape family can be traced back generations as purebloods. And despite the fact that Amanda was American, her family's as pure as any here in Britain. The Bellfoy's can be traced back to the founding of Jamestown, and despite the fact that Lucius will never admit it, until then the Bellfoy's and the Malfoy's were one and the same. And no one has ever questioned that they are not pureblooded."
"Severus. No one has questioned whether or not Elizabeth is a pureblood. But the fact remains; she's a squib. I know this is difficult. And I am sorry, but there is nothing that can be done."
"Albus, how the hell can she be a squib? What have I done to deserve this? Isn't it enough that I lost Amanda, do I have to have the life of my daughter destroyed as well? Do you have a single bloody clue as to how squibs are treated?" He didn't even wait for a response. "They're treated like shit. Like they're second class citizens. The only jobs available are those of servitude. That's not the type of life that I want for her."
Severus took a deep breath. "Headmaster," he said in quite, cold voice. "I should not have raised my voice. If you'll excuse me, I shall see you in the morning. Good evening, Headmaster." He turned and walked out of the room.
Dumbledore shook his head, and picked out a new sherbet lemon. "Severus my boy," he said to the empty room, "you have got a long road ahead of you.
"Mr. Weasley, your detention is over. You may leave."
"Professor, Elizabeth was."
"Mr. Weasley, when I said that you might leave, I meant for you to do it. Now, get out," he snapped.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm leaving." With that Charlie ran for the door.
As soon as the door closed behind Charlie, Severus sat down on his couch an bawled like a baby for the first time in three years.