The years went by and neither Severus nor his friends had written
spoken to each other. As far as he was concerned they were both dead. He
spent most of his days working as an apprentice to a master potions maker
that his father knew. In all his years on earth he never had asked what his
father did or even where and whom he worked. When he wasn't making potions
he was off at one party or another helping his father look better in front
of the richest and most influential witches and wizards in the world. He
was not the social-butterfly his mother or father had wanted to be he was
much happier standing in a dark room over a boiling cauldron or reading
about the art and various techniques that go into the making of complex
potions, not associating with people who wanted to be seen with him because
of how much his father had in a vault under Gringotts.
It was the day of his eleventh birthday. He was forced to take the day off from work. He lay on his bed and watched the light dance on the ceiling. He was to attend a party tonight that his mother was currently preparing for by screaming orders at the new houselves. His father was also going to announce tonight what school he would be attending. Like it wasn't already obvious. He would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He imagined the pretentious speech his father would give as he rolled over and looked at his school robes and the new trunk full of all the things he would need for his first year stacked neatly in the closet. He then looked at the floor near his bed where stacks of acceptance letters to every school in the world lay some unopened. They offered every thing from scholarships that were just for tuition to ones that included everything and his own room in the school, so he could work without the other students in his way. But no, his father wanted him to go to the one school that offered nun of that. He was going to be in a dorm room. He would be working around what the others could handle and not at a level where he would feel at all challenged. He lay in his bed for most of the morning and well into the after noon. Only when his mother came in furious that he was not yet ready and only fifteen minuets remained till the party did he bother to get up. He put on the dress robes that she had picked out for him and pulled his shiny black hair back into a ponytail. Then he made his way down to the living room to help greet guests.
Severus's father, much to his surprise, was the first to arrive. He was followed by large numbers of people that Severus either didn't know or ones that he didn't much care for. He played the good son and was so pleasant to all of the guests that after several hours he felt if he had to say another falsely nice thing he was going to make himself sick. The evening went on for what seemed like for ever. His father made the speech and everyone was very proud of the choice he had made, " Its nice to see a son wanting to follow in his father's foot steps," was the reaction that most gave. There were others about Slytherin and house pride and a bunch of point less crap that he could care less about.
The guests began to leave around ten that evening. When the last one vanished through the fireplace Severus made his way up to his room. He figured he could get in some work on the potion he was trying to improve before he had to sleep. He made a quick stop by his fathers study to retrieve some books and then went to his room. He found the door unlocked and open slightly. He was sure that he had locked it before he went down stairs. Who on earth could have been in his room? He opened the door slowly furious at the thought of some one going through his stuff. He entered the room to find a tall, thin, dark haired man sitting in Severus's favorite chair. All of his school letters at his feet. The man was going through his notes on the potions that he thought he could improve but had not had a chance to test yet.
" What do you think you are doing?" Severus felt as if he could kill this man. How dare he just barge in and start going through his things Just who did he think he was any way.
"You are a very smart boy. I am very impressed by all of this work you have been doing," he handed the book back to Severus then turned to face the fire, " You didn't seem to happy in your fathers choice in the school you should attend."
" You have been through the letters. Would you have been happy with Hogwarts? Just who are you anyway, Are you a friend of my fathers?"
" Well, I know your father. I guess you could say that he works for me," the man smiled a twisted evil sort of smile, " I don't really think that you would call us friends. I am a little offended by the fact that you don't know who I am. Tell me child what do you know about this 'war', I guess you could call it, that's going on ?"
Severus sat there half shocked. He had never had an adult even act like they cared about what he thought on anything especially not his father. Not even the potions master he had been studying with had wanted to listen to what he had to say. " Well I don't know much about what is going on, but I really don't care that much about it either. It doesn't effect me, so why should I care about it at all."
"It effects you more that you think child. Do you even know why the are fighting? Your father hasn't ever spoke with you about any of this."
" My father doesn't speak to me unless he needs to look like a father in front of someone important or to punish me for some random thing that I may have or have not done. My opinions don't matter to him or anyone else."
The look in his face had faded from a rather amused look to an almost angry look. " You mean to tell me that your father hasn't told you a thing about what's going on. And with the talent you have you could be useful for either side. I think that I will have to have a word with him about that. We will talk again soon, until then you keep up the good work. You really are a talented boy." He handed the book with Severus's notes back and turned to leave.
" Hey, you never told me who you are? I think that you owe me that much. I don't let just anyone look at my notes you know."
The man turned smiled slightly opened the door and disappeared into the black hall. Severus picked up the letters and his books and put them back on the desk. He still had the smile on his face from the conversation he had with the man. He really respected and cared about what I had to say, he thought. His thoughts drifted into vague whispers as he fell into a deep sleep.
...............
The morning of the first came and Severus was escorted to the train by both his parents. They pretended to be the happy pure blood family as they said their goodbyes and he went aboard the train. He made his way to the back in hopes of finding a quiet and empty compartment. The ones up front were full of what seemed to be older kids. He found a place that suited him in the very back. The compartment next to him held three boys. One with messed up dark hair and glasses, another with long dark hair and the most annoying laugh that Severus has ever heard in his life, the third was small and seemed to be being picked on by the other two and enjoying it too. He must not have a lot of people pay attention to him Severus thought as he pulled out his note books and began to work. He had been working when the train pulled out of the station. A few minuets later the door opened and a small pale looking boy started to enter but turned around when he saw someone there.
" I don't mind the company as long as you keep quite. Besides you aren't going to find an empty place I got the last one." Severus looked up at the boy who was looking at the ground like he was almost frightened to look up.
" Thank you. I promise I wont say a word. But, um. Could you help me with my trunk? I can't reach that high." The boy looked up smiled and looked back down. Severus tried not to laugh at the boy and got up to help him with the trunk. They sat in total silence till the snack cart came around the boy watched as Severus bought at least one if not more of everything on the cart.
" Do you want something sweetie?" the lady asked smiling at the other boy. The boys face went red and he just shook his head no. Severus plopped back in his seat and started in on the chocolate frogs. The small boy had gone back to the book he was reading.
They sat total silence all the way to the castle. Well it would have been total silence if the people across from them wouldn't have been doing something that sounded like they were either trying to blow up the train or the chubby boy that was with them. There was also this red headed girl that was huffing up and down the isle to the girl that was following her about how immature people were and how she was the only one who had read 'Hogwarts a History' and some more things that got muffled the farther away she got. Severus still could not believe that his father wanted to send him to this place. It was full of either mudbloods . Severus vented to himself until they arrived at the school. The moment Severus stepped off the train it began to rain. The rain was so thick that the first years had to keep throwing water out of the boats to keep them from sinking as they crossed the lake. They entered the school sopping wet and freezing. The combination of thunder, the heavy rain hitting the outside of the old castle and the whispers of half drown children made all seemed to be silenced by an old man with half moon shaped glasses and bright purple robes that had appeared in front of the group.
" If you wouldn't mind getting in a line. I think that we may be expected at the feast." He had been talking in no more than a whisper the whole time yet everyone heard and obeyed immediately. " Now than this way." His smile widened as he turned and lead the first years down the long hall into the Great Hall where all the other students were waiting.
They man left the first years then returned with a stool and an old worn-out looking hat. The hat began to sing, in Severuses opinion an unnecessary and horrible song describing the different houses. When the hat had finished the old man that Severus had decided must be Dumbledore. He had heard his father ranting about him before they arrived at the train station. Dumbledore called out names and the hat would call out a house after the child had put the hat on. Severus found this boring the hat was only going to put the child in the house that their parents were in if they had went there. The ceiling on the other hand was more fun to pay attention to. He watched it light up every time there was lightning outside and wondered if he could do this to the ceiling in his room at home. "Sirius Black,"the name made Severus jump. He had heard his father say something about working with a man maned Black once when he was younger and liked to hide in his fathers study when he had important company over. Severus became lost in thought once again only to rudely interrupted by the hats enthusiastic cry, "Gryffindor!"
He couldn't believe it. Him a Gryffindor. I was sure he would be a Slytherin he thought. What if the hat doesn't sort by the last name. He didn't even want to think about what his father would do if he was sorted into any other house than Slytherin. His mind filled with thoughts of his father reacting to the news of him becoming a Gryffindor or any of the other 'Less superior houses' his father had called them. He decided that thinking of things like that wasnt the best thing to do right now and went back to the ceiling trying to suppress the thoughts that had just flooded his head. Dumbledor went down the list slowly. Severus couldn't tell if this was due to old age or if he just liked to torture people. More names passed some like Crab and Goyle he knew. In fact they may have been at the party his father had for him. Severus had once again lost interest in the sorting and began to go over the ingredients in his trunk to make sure that he had every thing he thought he needed. As he thought of all the ways he could use spiders in potions and wondered why they were used in the first place he was once again interrupted by a name that this time sent a cold chill down his spine. Severus stood in shock as the name echoed through the room.
" Remus Lupin."
It was the day of his eleventh birthday. He was forced to take the day off from work. He lay on his bed and watched the light dance on the ceiling. He was to attend a party tonight that his mother was currently preparing for by screaming orders at the new houselves. His father was also going to announce tonight what school he would be attending. Like it wasn't already obvious. He would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He imagined the pretentious speech his father would give as he rolled over and looked at his school robes and the new trunk full of all the things he would need for his first year stacked neatly in the closet. He then looked at the floor near his bed where stacks of acceptance letters to every school in the world lay some unopened. They offered every thing from scholarships that were just for tuition to ones that included everything and his own room in the school, so he could work without the other students in his way. But no, his father wanted him to go to the one school that offered nun of that. He was going to be in a dorm room. He would be working around what the others could handle and not at a level where he would feel at all challenged. He lay in his bed for most of the morning and well into the after noon. Only when his mother came in furious that he was not yet ready and only fifteen minuets remained till the party did he bother to get up. He put on the dress robes that she had picked out for him and pulled his shiny black hair back into a ponytail. Then he made his way down to the living room to help greet guests.
Severus's father, much to his surprise, was the first to arrive. He was followed by large numbers of people that Severus either didn't know or ones that he didn't much care for. He played the good son and was so pleasant to all of the guests that after several hours he felt if he had to say another falsely nice thing he was going to make himself sick. The evening went on for what seemed like for ever. His father made the speech and everyone was very proud of the choice he had made, " Its nice to see a son wanting to follow in his father's foot steps," was the reaction that most gave. There were others about Slytherin and house pride and a bunch of point less crap that he could care less about.
The guests began to leave around ten that evening. When the last one vanished through the fireplace Severus made his way up to his room. He figured he could get in some work on the potion he was trying to improve before he had to sleep. He made a quick stop by his fathers study to retrieve some books and then went to his room. He found the door unlocked and open slightly. He was sure that he had locked it before he went down stairs. Who on earth could have been in his room? He opened the door slowly furious at the thought of some one going through his stuff. He entered the room to find a tall, thin, dark haired man sitting in Severus's favorite chair. All of his school letters at his feet. The man was going through his notes on the potions that he thought he could improve but had not had a chance to test yet.
" What do you think you are doing?" Severus felt as if he could kill this man. How dare he just barge in and start going through his things Just who did he think he was any way.
"You are a very smart boy. I am very impressed by all of this work you have been doing," he handed the book back to Severus then turned to face the fire, " You didn't seem to happy in your fathers choice in the school you should attend."
" You have been through the letters. Would you have been happy with Hogwarts? Just who are you anyway, Are you a friend of my fathers?"
" Well, I know your father. I guess you could say that he works for me," the man smiled a twisted evil sort of smile, " I don't really think that you would call us friends. I am a little offended by the fact that you don't know who I am. Tell me child what do you know about this 'war', I guess you could call it, that's going on ?"
Severus sat there half shocked. He had never had an adult even act like they cared about what he thought on anything especially not his father. Not even the potions master he had been studying with had wanted to listen to what he had to say. " Well I don't know much about what is going on, but I really don't care that much about it either. It doesn't effect me, so why should I care about it at all."
"It effects you more that you think child. Do you even know why the are fighting? Your father hasn't ever spoke with you about any of this."
" My father doesn't speak to me unless he needs to look like a father in front of someone important or to punish me for some random thing that I may have or have not done. My opinions don't matter to him or anyone else."
The look in his face had faded from a rather amused look to an almost angry look. " You mean to tell me that your father hasn't told you a thing about what's going on. And with the talent you have you could be useful for either side. I think that I will have to have a word with him about that. We will talk again soon, until then you keep up the good work. You really are a talented boy." He handed the book with Severus's notes back and turned to leave.
" Hey, you never told me who you are? I think that you owe me that much. I don't let just anyone look at my notes you know."
The man turned smiled slightly opened the door and disappeared into the black hall. Severus picked up the letters and his books and put them back on the desk. He still had the smile on his face from the conversation he had with the man. He really respected and cared about what I had to say, he thought. His thoughts drifted into vague whispers as he fell into a deep sleep.
...............
The morning of the first came and Severus was escorted to the train by both his parents. They pretended to be the happy pure blood family as they said their goodbyes and he went aboard the train. He made his way to the back in hopes of finding a quiet and empty compartment. The ones up front were full of what seemed to be older kids. He found a place that suited him in the very back. The compartment next to him held three boys. One with messed up dark hair and glasses, another with long dark hair and the most annoying laugh that Severus has ever heard in his life, the third was small and seemed to be being picked on by the other two and enjoying it too. He must not have a lot of people pay attention to him Severus thought as he pulled out his note books and began to work. He had been working when the train pulled out of the station. A few minuets later the door opened and a small pale looking boy started to enter but turned around when he saw someone there.
" I don't mind the company as long as you keep quite. Besides you aren't going to find an empty place I got the last one." Severus looked up at the boy who was looking at the ground like he was almost frightened to look up.
" Thank you. I promise I wont say a word. But, um. Could you help me with my trunk? I can't reach that high." The boy looked up smiled and looked back down. Severus tried not to laugh at the boy and got up to help him with the trunk. They sat in total silence till the snack cart came around the boy watched as Severus bought at least one if not more of everything on the cart.
" Do you want something sweetie?" the lady asked smiling at the other boy. The boys face went red and he just shook his head no. Severus plopped back in his seat and started in on the chocolate frogs. The small boy had gone back to the book he was reading.
They sat total silence all the way to the castle. Well it would have been total silence if the people across from them wouldn't have been doing something that sounded like they were either trying to blow up the train or the chubby boy that was with them. There was also this red headed girl that was huffing up and down the isle to the girl that was following her about how immature people were and how she was the only one who had read 'Hogwarts a History' and some more things that got muffled the farther away she got. Severus still could not believe that his father wanted to send him to this place. It was full of either mudbloods . Severus vented to himself until they arrived at the school. The moment Severus stepped off the train it began to rain. The rain was so thick that the first years had to keep throwing water out of the boats to keep them from sinking as they crossed the lake. They entered the school sopping wet and freezing. The combination of thunder, the heavy rain hitting the outside of the old castle and the whispers of half drown children made all seemed to be silenced by an old man with half moon shaped glasses and bright purple robes that had appeared in front of the group.
" If you wouldn't mind getting in a line. I think that we may be expected at the feast." He had been talking in no more than a whisper the whole time yet everyone heard and obeyed immediately. " Now than this way." His smile widened as he turned and lead the first years down the long hall into the Great Hall where all the other students were waiting.
They man left the first years then returned with a stool and an old worn-out looking hat. The hat began to sing, in Severuses opinion an unnecessary and horrible song describing the different houses. When the hat had finished the old man that Severus had decided must be Dumbledore. He had heard his father ranting about him before they arrived at the train station. Dumbledore called out names and the hat would call out a house after the child had put the hat on. Severus found this boring the hat was only going to put the child in the house that their parents were in if they had went there. The ceiling on the other hand was more fun to pay attention to. He watched it light up every time there was lightning outside and wondered if he could do this to the ceiling in his room at home. "Sirius Black,"the name made Severus jump. He had heard his father say something about working with a man maned Black once when he was younger and liked to hide in his fathers study when he had important company over. Severus became lost in thought once again only to rudely interrupted by the hats enthusiastic cry, "Gryffindor!"
He couldn't believe it. Him a Gryffindor. I was sure he would be a Slytherin he thought. What if the hat doesn't sort by the last name. He didn't even want to think about what his father would do if he was sorted into any other house than Slytherin. His mind filled with thoughts of his father reacting to the news of him becoming a Gryffindor or any of the other 'Less superior houses' his father had called them. He decided that thinking of things like that wasnt the best thing to do right now and went back to the ceiling trying to suppress the thoughts that had just flooded his head. Dumbledor went down the list slowly. Severus couldn't tell if this was due to old age or if he just liked to torture people. More names passed some like Crab and Goyle he knew. In fact they may have been at the party his father had for him. Severus had once again lost interest in the sorting and began to go over the ingredients in his trunk to make sure that he had every thing he thought he needed. As he thought of all the ways he could use spiders in potions and wondered why they were used in the first place he was once again interrupted by a name that this time sent a cold chill down his spine. Severus stood in shock as the name echoed through the room.
" Remus Lupin."