Reunion
"Where are we professor?" Scarlet asked.
"We are standing near the Black Lake. Hogwarts is on the other side." McGonagall replied. "We will have to walk from here."
"Professor McGonagall lead Axel and Scarlet around the Black Lake, and up the path towards Hogwarts.
"Wow! This place is amazing!" Scarlet exclaimed when they walked through the entrance.
"Where are we going professor?" Axel asked.
"We are going to see the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore." McGonagall explained.
Meanwhile in Dumbledore's office...
"What do you mean I'm a father!" a loud voice bellowed.
"Calm, Severus, calm. I can understand the shock you must feel, after all, I only found out myself a few hours ago." a calm voice replied.
"But how is this even possible?" Severus asked.
"You know full well how it is possible Severus."
"But Dumbledore, even though Lily was the mother, i'm not capable of being a father. I don't know how to be a father." Snape replied.
"They will be here soon, Severus. If you wish to leave, then I will not stop you. Just remember, you will have to meet them eventually." Dumbledore stated.
Snape left Dumbledore's office and hurried back to his private chambers in the dungeons so he could think about what Dumbledore had told him.
Back at the entrance...
"Follow me." Professor McGonagall said, before leading Axel and Scarlet down a long corridor.
McGonagall stopped in front of a large statue.
"Why have we stopped Professor?" Axel asked, already suspecting he knew the answer.
"We have arrived." The professor replied. She took a step towards the statue and spoke the password. "Sherbet lemon."
The statue in front of them began to move. As it twisted, it rose and a stairwell began to appear. Axel, Scarlet and Professor McGonagall stepped onto the stairwell as it continued to rise. When they reached the pinnacle of the stairs, Professor McGonagall knocked on the door four times.
"Come in professor" a voice called from the other side.
"Professor McGonagall opened the door and followed Axel and Scarlet as they went inside.
"Axel, Scarlet, this is Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts." McGonagall stated.
"Ah. So you are Axel and Scarlet. I welcome you to Hogwarts. What do you think so far?" Dumbledore asked, peering at Axel and Scarlet over his half-moon spectacles.
"It's amazing!" Scarlet exclaimed.
"I'm glad you think so." Dumbledore replied.
"When will we be able to meet our father Professor?" Axel asked.
"Soon. Very soon. But first, I need to speak to Professor McGonagall in private." Dumbledore explained.
"Of course Professor." Axel replied. "Come on Scarlet."
"Make sure you don't wander off too far, students aren't supposed to be in Hogwarts during the summer holiday." McGonagall explained.
"Ok Professor, we won't go too far." Scarlet said.
Axel and Scarlet then left the room and started to walk back down the stairwell. Once they had reached the bottom, they took the time to have a look around the corridor.
Suddenly, a ghost arose from the floor, causing both children to jump.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" it asked sternly.
"I'm Axel, and this is Scarlet." Axel stated, not afraid of the ghost hovering in front of them. "And we are waiting for Professor McGonagall to finish speaking to Professor Dumbledore."
"Alright, just don't wander off." the ghost said, sounding much friendlier than before.
"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Scarlet asked.
"I am the Slytherin house ghost, most commonly referred to as the Bloody Baron." the Baron responded.
A noise from behind caused Axel and Scarlet to turn in time to see Professor McGonagall walking down the stairs leading to the Headmaster's office.
"The Headmaster would like to speak to you." she said.
Axel and Scarlet scaled the steps to the Headmaster's office once more and went inside after Dumbledore opened the door.
"When would you two like to meet your father?" the headmaster asked.
"Whenever it is possible, sir." Axel replied, not wanting to sound rude.
"Very well. But first I feel it would be good for you to know some things about him." Dumbledore said. "Your father's name is Severus Snape and he is potions master here at Hogwarts. He isn't the easiest person to get to know, and he isn't really the easiest person to speak to either."
"Thank you Headmaster." Scarlet said, glad to finally know something about her father.
Their conversation was cut short by a burst of green flames in the Headmaster's fireplace. Axel and Scarlet were surprised to see a man step out of the flames.
The man was only slightly taller than Professor Dumbledore, with a hooked nose, obsidian eyes, and greasy-looking black hair.
"You wished to see me Headmaster?" he asked, his voice as soft as velvet.
"Ah, Severus. Perfect timing." Dumbledore replied, with a slight sparkle in his eyes.
"Severus? So that means that this is our..." Scarlet began, but it was Dumbledore who finished the sentence.
"Yes, this is your father, Professor Severus Snape."
Professor Snape looked at Axel and Scarlet for a while before he finally spoke. "So you are the children Lily kept secret..." he sounded thoughtful before asking: "Tell me, what are your names?"
"My name is Axel, and my sister's name is Scarlet." Axel replied, happy that he was finally speaking to his father.
"Come with me, I want to show you around the castle." Snape said, a hint of a smile on the edge of his lips.
Severus led his children out of the Headmaster's office and closed the door.
"Was that a smile I saw on Severus' face?" McGonagall asked, slightly amused.
"Yes, Minerva. I believe it was." Dumbledore replied, also amused.
Meanwhile, Severus was showing Axel and Scarlet around Hogwarts. They had already seen the locations of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms, the Quidditch pitch, most of the classrooms inside and outside, and they were now being led back down the stairs to the dungeons.
"Where are we going Professor?" Axel asked.
"We are going to see the Potions classroom and the last of the common rooms." Snape replied. "And you may call me Severus, but only during the holidays when there are no other students around."
As they turned the corner, Snape stopped, causing Axel and Scarlet to almost walk into him.
"This is the Potions classroom." Snape stated.
Axel and Scarlet looked at all of the different bottles that were on the shelves of the classroom.
"This classroom is amazing Severus!" Axel exclaimed.
"I'm glad you think so." Snape replied. "Now follow me, we are going to the final common room."
Severus led both children along the corridors before stopping in front of a painting. He proceeded by saying something neither Axel nor Scarlet could hear.
The painting then swung open like a door.
"This is the Slytherin common room." Snape said proudly.
"Cool! It's underwater!" Scarlet exclaimed upon looking out of the window.
"Indeed. Now please, follow me." Snape instructed, leading Axel and Scarlet back outside.
"Where are we going now Severus?" Axel asked.
"I am going to show you where you will be staying for the holidays." Snape replied, before turning back towards the painting and saying "Wolfsbane."
The painting swung open once more, only this time they were not looking at the Slytherin common room, but at a sitting room.
The room was similar in design to the Slytherin common room, with a few alterations. There were three other doors in the room, two on the back wall and one on the right wall. There was also a kitchen and dining area to the left of the entrance.
"Wow." Scarlet exclaimed.
"Follow me. I will show you your rooms." Severus said, leading the children towards the right-hand side of the back wall.
Snape opened the door and signalled for Axel and Scarlet to go inside.
The room did was not overly large, but it was not small either. The walls were a warm stone while the floor was a rich maple wood on which was a vibrant emerald green rug. Similar to the sitting room the furniture was made from various darker woods. What surprised the children the most was that unlike the Slytherin common room, the view from the windows was looking out onto the water as opposed to under it.
"Axel, this is your bedroom." Snape said, before leading the children back out and towards the left-hand door on the back wall.
The inside of this room was similar to Axel's room, only the colour scheme was slightly lighter in tone.
"Scarlet, this is your bedroom." Snape repeated, before adding, "if either of you wish to change how your rooms look, just let me know."
"Thanks Severus." Axel said.
"That's quite alright." Snape replied. "Now then. We need to get your school supplies."
"Where are we going to get them?" Scarlet asked.
"We will go to Diagon Alley, but we shall use the floo network to get there." Snape explained. "We shall go together until you are used to it."
"Ok. So how does the floo network work?" Axel asked.
"Follow me and I shall show you." Snape said, leading Axel and Scarlet towards the fireplace. He proceeded by grabbing a handful of a strange powder.
"Stand in the fireplace." Snape instructed.
Axel and Scarlet looked at each other before stepping into the fireplace. Snape walked into the fireplace and stood in front of them.
"Hold my arm." Snape instructed.
Axel and Scarlet grabbed Snape's arm and waited.
"Diagon Alley!" Snape yelled, simultaneously dropping the powder into the fireplace.
Green flames engulfed them, and before they knew it, they were no longer in the sitting room, but in a large, bustling alleyway.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Snape said, stepping out of the fireplace they were now standing in.