Severus Snape
An old dusty copy of 'Fantastic beasts and where to find them' lay open on the desk in front of Sirius, his head was propped up by his hand as he bent over the book staring at the page - which had not been turned in over an hour. He was supposed to be reading about pixies, but he couldn't help but sit there daydreaming as the sounds of a quill scratching against parchment filled the room as Regulus scribbled down notes beside him. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door that echoed through the house that startled Sirius, shaking him back into reality. Curiously, both boys rampaged over to the window to get a look at the visitor, Sirius could see that standing in front of the door was a tall figure in a ratty black cloak accompanied by a smaller figure in a patched grey cloak. Once the mysterious visitors entered the house the boys ran over to the door and quietly snuck out into the hallway.
"who'd you reckon they are Sirius?" Regulus whispered turning to Sirius. "I don't know Reg, maybe if you'd pipe down, I could hear what they're talking about and tell you." Sirius replied leaning further over the banister. But it was no use, all he could here was muffled conversation and the only voice he recognised was his mothers.
"You is being nosey you is" Both boys jumped up at the sudden voice in fear of being caught but instead they found Kreacher standing behind them with a dirty mop and bucket. "You is meant to be studying, not nosing on your mothers private conversation"
"Kreacher, who is it downstairs? we're just curious" Regulus asked Kreacher calmly, he always did like Regulus better.
"It's the filthy blood traitor and her half-blood son" Kreacher replied, he walked away muttering under his breath.
Blood traitor? Hearing this just made Sirius more curious, he just had to know who these peculiar guests are. Quietly he crept down stairs, Regulus following close behind him, they carefully tip-toed out into the hallway before hiding behind a thick trolls leg umbrella stand, it barely concealed them but it was enough to stop them from being noticed by their mother. Sirius could now see both guests clearly now, it seemed to be a mother standing with her son, however they were unlike any witch or wizard that Sirius had ever seen; the mother was a skinny, hunched woman with thick brows painted upon her sour face and her son had long greasy black hair and a rather large hooked nose.
"Please Walburga, have sympathy for you old friend" the strange woman pleaded "I can't get away and my poor boy ... he-he doesn't deserve this" she burst out into tears and began reaching out to Walburga who swatted her away with a look of disgust upon her face. " P-please help us, I-I-I haven't any money and we've nowhere to go ..."
"well you should've thought of that before you married that filthy muggle man you blood traitor! " Walburga interrupted "You've bought shame upon the Prince family name and disgrace to its pure-blood line , this is exactly what you and your half-blooded son deserve" at these words the woman began to break down, clutching onto her sons shoulder for support, he too looked downhearted.
"magical blood runs through his veins just like it does in your own sons" Walburga tried to interrupt again but the woman continued " why should the purity of his blood matter when he comes from a respectable family?"
"Your family is respectable no more, you made sure of that when you started courting with that piece of filth you call your husband! Now get out of my house Eileen before Orion gets home because, believe me when I say, he will have something to say about this and it will not be pretty!" Walburga pointed a long fat finger towards to door and Eileen's son pulled his mother towards the door by the sleeve of her robes, he could tell that his mother was getting them nowhere and she too could tell they were defeated, so she followed her son out the door and disappeared with a 'crack'. With a wave of her hand Walburga slammed the door shut behind them and as she turned around, she caught sight of the two boys hiding behind the umbrella stand. Sirius thought for sure this would result in punishment after all they were meant to be studying, his mother however, did not even raise her voice at them instead she spoke calmly:
"Boys. You must understand that some wizarding families are better than others. The best of family's keeps to their own sort, they don't go faffing around with mud-bloods. That woman, Eileen, was one of my closest friends during my time at school until she met the wretched muggle Snape and had her son Severus. She bought shame upon her family, I will not have that kind of dishonour bought to the noble Black family name and you'll make sure of that, won't you boys." both boys nodded "now get back to studying, I won't raise a pair of trolls" and with that she whisked away into her chamber, leaving the boys crouched and confused behind the trolls leg umbrella stand.
The whole hall erupted into applause as Severus Snape made his way over to the Slytherin table whilst Professor McGonagall cleared away the stool and sorting hat before taking her seat at the professors table. Once everyone was seated, an aged wizard in navy robes rose from his seat and took his place at the front of the school and began talking to the students before him:
"Welcome! Welcome, to a new year at Hogwarts! Now all I have to say is, tuck in and let the feast commence" as he said this all the golden platters on the tables filled with an array of foods. Roast chicken, honey roasted pork, lamb chops and steamed vegetables, thick gravy, Yorkshire puddings, every kind of potato imaginable from fully mash to crispy roast, filled the hall with a divine mixture of smells. All the students began to fill their plates with mounds of the food, Sirius among them. The noise level in the hall shot up immediately as everyone tucked into the delicious food in front of them. As Sirius scooped heaps of roast potatoes onto his plate the thought of Severus Snape slipped his mind and instead, he chatted cheerfully to James about the quidditch season soon to start, and it was the happiest Sirius had felt in years.