/I don't own anything that you recognize in this story. /

Chapter One

Standing on the platform, I stared blankly at the Hogwarts Express. My mother, Eileen, stood next to me, her hand gripped tightly on my shoulder. I wanted to say something to her, but I didn't dare say anything to her, not in front of a whole crowd of people. I didn't want to cause a scene.

Glancing downward, my mother smiled down nervously at me. She was probably scared of how I was going to react. She didn't know that inwardly I was leaping for joy. I was finally leaving home for a whole year and I wasn't looking back.

"You will be sure to write to me, won't you, Severus?" Eileen asked, a slight note of pleading escaping into her voice.

"Sure, whatever you want, mother," I replied, my gaze sweeping around the platform.

Eileen smiled and her hand squeezed tightly on my shoulder. "This is a new beginning, Severus, a time for you to start over. There will be a time when you will be able to break away from your father."

I turned to stare up at my mother, my eyes glittering with anger. "He is no father of mine, mother. He doesn't accept our ways. He doesn't appreciate the way of life that we live. I don't know why you haven't gotten away from him already."

Eileen's face hardened. I could tell that this was a difficult subject for her. I mentally slapped myself for being so forthright, but wasn't it true? Hadn't she been within the grips of that man for far too long? Someone needed to mention something to her, to make her realize her mistakes in life so she could correct them before they got away from her.

"That is not possible, Severus. You don't know how much we are depending on your father. He is our lifeline, Severus, and we cannot do without. One day you will realize this and thank me," Eileen stated, her eyes glittering.

"As you say, mother," I answered and turned back to studying the crowd. There were so many different kinds of people that it was overwhelming. And too think that so many of them were purebloods from old wizarding families. I was deeply jealous. Perhaps this is where I could truly start over—my mother was right. No one would know the difference; no one would know my past.

The train blew its whistle and I felt my mother suddenly jostling and pushing me sharply towards the train. I obeyed, my legs walking automatically. The next thing I knew, I was sitting by myself in a compartment, waving goodbye to my mother. Soon she faded into the distance, far from sight. Finally, I was on my way to a new life.

Pulling out one of my schoolbooks, I immersed myself into the magic so deeply that I didn't notice that two boys had entered the compartment until I heard their obnoxious loud voices. Looking up from my book, I glared at them with deep loathing for interrupting my quiet time. But it seemed that they didn't notice it, or otherwise they chose to ignore my impatient looks. Shaking my head, I buried myself into my book again, hoping that I wouldn't be distracted again. How I was wrong.

"I still don't think that that move was well done, to be truthful," said the first one. He was a good-looking boy, messy hair that probably didn't lay flat and deep blue eyes. I had a hunch that the girls at school would be clambering all over him without stop.

The other boy had a more gothic look to him with long, shaggy black hair, tanned face, and blue-gray eyes. But he was good-looking enough and would probably win the heart of a few girls, as well. I suddenly wished that my looks were more improved upon and not as unsightly to look at.

"I don't think so, James. That player knew what he was doing, he just happened to get hit by a bludger and got knocked out," this second boy exclaimed.

"That's why it wasn't well done, Sirius, my friend," the boy called James stated, "he was too stupid to see what was coming."

Stopping abruptly, James and Sirius caught my sight. I saw the boy, Sirius give a grimaced look at James. I hastily averted my eyes to the pages of my book. But somehow I knew that this technique wasn't going to last.

Striding over to where I was, James sat down next to me and snatched my away from my hands. I angrily tried to snatch it back, but James kept it away from my reach and eventually stood up and sat across from me. I clenched my fists, anger boiling up from the pit of my stomach. The stupid git!

"Look at this, Sirius, we find a slime ball who's greasing up a brand new book with that crooked nose of his. Doesn't he know that these books are too expensive for grimy hands like his? My, I think we need to teach him his first lesson at Hogwarts, wouldn't you say?" James asked.

I glared angrily. Already I had made enemies and I hadn't even done anything yet. Just wait until they got to Hogwarts and I learned enough to blast them away to nowhere. They would wish that they had never done anything to me on Hogwarts express.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me back my book, please. I'll need that for school," I said calmly.

James and Sirius laughed and I just stared at them. And people thought that I was something of evil.

Sirius walked an inch to my face and grinned. "Why would you want your book back, sir? You've probably memorized the whole book by now and don't need it anymore."

I fought to keep my calm. I didn't want to be expelled before I even began school yet. I didn't want to go back to my parents before I needed to.

"Yes, you are right, Sirius, I have studied that book thoroughly and know what it says, but I don't wish to be in trouble before school even begins. You are a Black, are you not? I have heard stories of nobility and long lineage, I'm sure you don't want to sour your family name," I replied, hoping it would calm the ensuing battle.

Sirius laughed. "Sour my family name? My family's a load of dung and I couldn't be bothered with them."

I stared, aghast. "Couldn't be bothered? Why, if I had such lineage of yours, I would be proud."

"And what, you don't?" James asked. "Do you have Muggle heritage?"

I shook my head. "My family heritage has nothing to do with it. I am a pureblood, if you're asking."

"Is there problem here?" a voice asked suddenly from the compartment door. "I'm a prefect and I will not hold disruption here on the train."

James glanced over at the prefect and shoved my book into my chest.

"No, there's no trouble. Just having a chat," James stated and he and Sirius left the compartment to go sit in another.

As they left, I could've sworn I heard them muttering to themselves about me.

"Something about him's not right, I could feel something about him."

"I did, too, but did you see how he looked? Hasn't he learned to take a bath?"

I shook my head and sunk back down into the seat. Hopefully I wouldn't have to deal with them again, either. All I hoped was that this confrontation wouldn't ruin me for the rest of my time at Hogwarts. I wouldn't be able to stand seven more years of friendliness and continuous distrust. But until then I wasn't going to worry about it, not yet. Slowly, I opened my book back up and continued reading where I left off. Nothing else mattered.