Chapter 6: Severa Snape.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the assembled group of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, Snape and. Severa??? Harry blinked a few times and tried to digest what that girl had just said. Snapes daughter! Since when did Snape have a daughter? Harry recovered slightly from the shock for a moment and remembered his manners.
"Well," he said, holding out his hand, "it's er. it's very nice to meet you. I'm Harry and these are my friends Ron and Hermione."
Severa squealed again, shook hands with Ron and hugged a very surprised Hermione.
"I've just arrived!" she squealed excitedly. "My father collected me from home and brought me to the school. I hope we'll all be in the same class! What House are you three in?"
"Gryffindor." Harry answered quickly. He couldn't wait to get away from Snape. Harry could feel Snapes eyes burning into the back of his head.
"All three of you? I hope I'm in that House! I don't know which House I'm in yet. I really hope it's."
"You are to be in Slytherin, Severa."
Severa turned to Snape and it was as if all her good looks had melted away in an instant. She was giving Snape a cold, hard stare that left no doubt that she was indeed his daughter.
"No." she snarled at Snape, "I want to be in Gryffindor. Not Slytherin, Gryffindor."
"Severa, I am Head of Slytherin House, therefore you shall be in Slytherin House. It is as simple as that." Snape gritted his teeth as he spoke to her, as if she was a simple child with no logic or understanding.
Severa leaned right up close to Snape and said nastily: "I DON'T want to be in your horrible house! I don't want anything to do with you!" Then she turned and stalked off in the direction from which Harry, Ron and Hermione had come moments earlier. A second uncomfortable silence filled they air as Harry, Ron and Hermione wondered how to make an exit. They were saved when Snape angrily crashed up the stairs to Dumbledore's office and Dumbledore had no choice but to follow. He shut the little door that was the entrance to his office but not before telling Harry, Ron and Hermione that they had better hurry back to their common room ("you don't want to be getting yourselves into trouble!") The three friends quickly jumped to Dumbledores word and all but legged it back to the Gryffindor common room.
~*~
"Oh my Merlin!" Ron gasped.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were now inside the common room. Their feet had hardly touched the ground as they had run back to the Gryffindor common room to talk about the escapades of the night. They were now sprawled in their usual seats beside the fire, each one of the three breathing heavily from the furious running they had just endured. Harry noted that the common room was now empty of the supporters of Seamus' and Parvati's wizards chess match and indeed, Seamus and Parvati themselves.
"Oh my Merlin!" Ron repeated. "Snape. he. Snape has a daughter!" Ron then proceeded to laugh as if it was the most absurd thing in the world- a person having a daughter. But then, Harry mused, for Snape, it was very absurd and extremely unheard of. who would ever have thought???
"Well," Hermione began, "I suppose he has to have some life outside of Potion making and Hogwarts. I mean (she lowered her voice, just in case,) he was a Death Eater after all."
"Snape? Have a life? You have got to be joking, Hermione! His 'life' is making Gryffindors miserable, especially Harry! (Harry nodded his head in agreement.) There is nothing more to it!" Ron continued. "Hey, but Harry, she's not bad looking is she?" Ron smiled.
Harry agreed that she was pretty but he didn't fancy her. She was a bit too. squealy for him. Harry decided to change the subject quickly; he didn't want to offend Ron.
"Did you see the temper on her? She practically exploded when Snape said she couldn't have her way and be in Gryffindor house!"
"Yes," said Hermione, "she seemed very nice though. A bit forward, but nice." Harry could see Hermione was remembering her hug and he laughed quietly to himself.
"And she looks so like Snape!" Hermione mused. "It's unreal!"
"She does not!" Ron shouted angrily. "She's gorgeous!"
"But that doesn't mean she can't look like her father, Ron!"
"It does too!"
"Ron!"
"Hermione!"
Harry drifted off in to thought as Hermione and Ron fought (as usual.)
He privately agreed with Hermione. The only difference in Severus and Severa's appearance was Severa's dull green eyes (which Harry thought looked like a dreary field of clouds) and Severa's straight nose. Every other similarity was there- the black hair, the pale skin, the tall, slim figure. there was definitely no doubt that Snape was Severa's father. It was at this moment that Harry thought of something he hadn't before.
"Hey! Hey! Ron! Hermione!"
Ron and Hermione stopped fighting for a minute and they both looked at Harry, obviously irritated that their repertoire was interrupted.
"What is it?" they snarled in unison.
"I've just thought of something." Harry said. "We know Snape is Severa's father, but. well, who do you suppose her mother is?"
Ron and Hermione dropped their snarling expressions and a knitted expression furrowed each of their brows.
Then Ron suddenly exploded into a wild fit of laughter. "Maybe its Professor McGonagall!" he shrieked. Harry and Hermione joined him in laughing and soon the three of them were coming up with wild ideas.
"Professor Sprout!" Harry cried.
"Malfoy's mother!" Ron spluttered through a fresh fit of giggles.
"Voldemort!"
That really was too much for Harry and Ron. They both fell on the floor clutching their sides with laughter. Each time one of them stopped laughing, they would catch the others eye and the ridiculous laughter and wild ideas would start up again. ("Wormtail!" "Grubbly-Plank!" "Who?" "You remember! The Care of Magical Creatures teacher!" "Oh Merlin! Madame Maxime!")
Hermione who was desperately trying to compose herself, almost choked as she smothered another fit of giggles behind her hand. That just topped everything and soon Hermione had joined them rolling around on the floor.
After a while, the laughter subsided, although the occasional giggle escaped from one of the three. Harry, Ron and Hermione got up off the floor and sat back in their seats.
"Seriously though," Hermione said, "We really shouldn't be laughing. Maybe she isn't on good terms with her mother, maybe she doesn't even live with her!"
"She has to live with her!" objected Ron. "Where would Severa go during the year?"
"To another wizarding school obviously!" Hermione argued. "And then Snape goes home during the holidays and looks after her. I mean, we've never seen him around the holidays have we?"
"Once." Harry remembered. "During the third year Christmas holidays. Do you remember? Dumbledore pulled a cracker with him!"
This set the three friends off into fits of laughter again but they soon composed themselves.
"But really," said Hermione, "it is a bit of a mystery!"
"And I know how to solve it!" chirped up Ron. "Let's ask her!"
"Ron! Don't you dare!" Hermione exploded. "That is so personal! You can't just walk up to her and say: "Hey Severa! We know our Potions teacher, Professor Snape, is your father but who is your mother?" No way, Ron! Besides it being rude, Snape would skin us alive if he found out we were nosing into his personal life!"
"Okay, okay!" Ron protested. "Relax Hermione! I won't ask her! But, if I so happen to mention the subject of mothers I can't be held responsible if Severa tells us anything about her mother!"
And with that, Ron jumped off his chair and headed for the stairs to bed. A big smirk was playing across Ron's face and a horrible glare had settled on Hermiones.
~*~
An uncomfortable silence fell over the assembled group of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, Snape and. Severa??? Harry blinked a few times and tried to digest what that girl had just said. Snapes daughter! Since when did Snape have a daughter? Harry recovered slightly from the shock for a moment and remembered his manners.
"Well," he said, holding out his hand, "it's er. it's very nice to meet you. I'm Harry and these are my friends Ron and Hermione."
Severa squealed again, shook hands with Ron and hugged a very surprised Hermione.
"I've just arrived!" she squealed excitedly. "My father collected me from home and brought me to the school. I hope we'll all be in the same class! What House are you three in?"
"Gryffindor." Harry answered quickly. He couldn't wait to get away from Snape. Harry could feel Snapes eyes burning into the back of his head.
"All three of you? I hope I'm in that House! I don't know which House I'm in yet. I really hope it's."
"You are to be in Slytherin, Severa."
Severa turned to Snape and it was as if all her good looks had melted away in an instant. She was giving Snape a cold, hard stare that left no doubt that she was indeed his daughter.
"No." she snarled at Snape, "I want to be in Gryffindor. Not Slytherin, Gryffindor."
"Severa, I am Head of Slytherin House, therefore you shall be in Slytherin House. It is as simple as that." Snape gritted his teeth as he spoke to her, as if she was a simple child with no logic or understanding.
Severa leaned right up close to Snape and said nastily: "I DON'T want to be in your horrible house! I don't want anything to do with you!" Then she turned and stalked off in the direction from which Harry, Ron and Hermione had come moments earlier. A second uncomfortable silence filled they air as Harry, Ron and Hermione wondered how to make an exit. They were saved when Snape angrily crashed up the stairs to Dumbledore's office and Dumbledore had no choice but to follow. He shut the little door that was the entrance to his office but not before telling Harry, Ron and Hermione that they had better hurry back to their common room ("you don't want to be getting yourselves into trouble!") The three friends quickly jumped to Dumbledores word and all but legged it back to the Gryffindor common room.
~*~
"Oh my Merlin!" Ron gasped.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were now inside the common room. Their feet had hardly touched the ground as they had run back to the Gryffindor common room to talk about the escapades of the night. They were now sprawled in their usual seats beside the fire, each one of the three breathing heavily from the furious running they had just endured. Harry noted that the common room was now empty of the supporters of Seamus' and Parvati's wizards chess match and indeed, Seamus and Parvati themselves.
"Oh my Merlin!" Ron repeated. "Snape. he. Snape has a daughter!" Ron then proceeded to laugh as if it was the most absurd thing in the world- a person having a daughter. But then, Harry mused, for Snape, it was very absurd and extremely unheard of. who would ever have thought???
"Well," Hermione began, "I suppose he has to have some life outside of Potion making and Hogwarts. I mean (she lowered her voice, just in case,) he was a Death Eater after all."
"Snape? Have a life? You have got to be joking, Hermione! His 'life' is making Gryffindors miserable, especially Harry! (Harry nodded his head in agreement.) There is nothing more to it!" Ron continued. "Hey, but Harry, she's not bad looking is she?" Ron smiled.
Harry agreed that she was pretty but he didn't fancy her. She was a bit too. squealy for him. Harry decided to change the subject quickly; he didn't want to offend Ron.
"Did you see the temper on her? She practically exploded when Snape said she couldn't have her way and be in Gryffindor house!"
"Yes," said Hermione, "she seemed very nice though. A bit forward, but nice." Harry could see Hermione was remembering her hug and he laughed quietly to himself.
"And she looks so like Snape!" Hermione mused. "It's unreal!"
"She does not!" Ron shouted angrily. "She's gorgeous!"
"But that doesn't mean she can't look like her father, Ron!"
"It does too!"
"Ron!"
"Hermione!"
Harry drifted off in to thought as Hermione and Ron fought (as usual.)
He privately agreed with Hermione. The only difference in Severus and Severa's appearance was Severa's dull green eyes (which Harry thought looked like a dreary field of clouds) and Severa's straight nose. Every other similarity was there- the black hair, the pale skin, the tall, slim figure. there was definitely no doubt that Snape was Severa's father. It was at this moment that Harry thought of something he hadn't before.
"Hey! Hey! Ron! Hermione!"
Ron and Hermione stopped fighting for a minute and they both looked at Harry, obviously irritated that their repertoire was interrupted.
"What is it?" they snarled in unison.
"I've just thought of something." Harry said. "We know Snape is Severa's father, but. well, who do you suppose her mother is?"
Ron and Hermione dropped their snarling expressions and a knitted expression furrowed each of their brows.
Then Ron suddenly exploded into a wild fit of laughter. "Maybe its Professor McGonagall!" he shrieked. Harry and Hermione joined him in laughing and soon the three of them were coming up with wild ideas.
"Professor Sprout!" Harry cried.
"Malfoy's mother!" Ron spluttered through a fresh fit of giggles.
"Voldemort!"
That really was too much for Harry and Ron. They both fell on the floor clutching their sides with laughter. Each time one of them stopped laughing, they would catch the others eye and the ridiculous laughter and wild ideas would start up again. ("Wormtail!" "Grubbly-Plank!" "Who?" "You remember! The Care of Magical Creatures teacher!" "Oh Merlin! Madame Maxime!")
Hermione who was desperately trying to compose herself, almost choked as she smothered another fit of giggles behind her hand. That just topped everything and soon Hermione had joined them rolling around on the floor.
After a while, the laughter subsided, although the occasional giggle escaped from one of the three. Harry, Ron and Hermione got up off the floor and sat back in their seats.
"Seriously though," Hermione said, "We really shouldn't be laughing. Maybe she isn't on good terms with her mother, maybe she doesn't even live with her!"
"She has to live with her!" objected Ron. "Where would Severa go during the year?"
"To another wizarding school obviously!" Hermione argued. "And then Snape goes home during the holidays and looks after her. I mean, we've never seen him around the holidays have we?"
"Once." Harry remembered. "During the third year Christmas holidays. Do you remember? Dumbledore pulled a cracker with him!"
This set the three friends off into fits of laughter again but they soon composed themselves.
"But really," said Hermione, "it is a bit of a mystery!"
"And I know how to solve it!" chirped up Ron. "Let's ask her!"
"Ron! Don't you dare!" Hermione exploded. "That is so personal! You can't just walk up to her and say: "Hey Severa! We know our Potions teacher, Professor Snape, is your father but who is your mother?" No way, Ron! Besides it being rude, Snape would skin us alive if he found out we were nosing into his personal life!"
"Okay, okay!" Ron protested. "Relax Hermione! I won't ask her! But, if I so happen to mention the subject of mothers I can't be held responsible if Severa tells us anything about her mother!"
And with that, Ron jumped off his chair and headed for the stairs to bed. A big smirk was playing across Ron's face and a horrible glare had settled on Hermiones.
~*~