Clara woke to the quiet chirping of birds outside her bedroom window. Dark green drapes indicated the favored house: Slytherin. Clara pulled on her bedraggled deep red hair and yawned as she made her way downstairs. Her father, the potions master Severus Snape sat cross-legged reading the Prophet with an espresso in front of him.

Clara's bright "Good morning Dad!" was answered with a humph and a nod. The usual. Although her father seemed cold and rude to others, Clara had learned over the years that her father was just…like that. But he had his good moments, too. Although he was usually an over protective and strict man, he would sometimes genuinely smile, just a little, when she brought flowers to the kitchen table, or if she played with cut flower heads on her palm.

Clara loved those moments of quiet happiness, with her father and their beautiful country house in the meadow. No one to bother them, except the occasional visitor, whom Clara was never allowed to meet.

Her almond shaped, greenish hazel eyes searched the room and landed on the pile of mail that the morning owls brought. Making a beeline towards it, Clara hurriedly looked through the many letters for one cream colored envelope with emerald writing.

After checking three times, Clara accepted that the letter had not come today and started to make some toast with cream cheese. After pouring a hot cup of tea, she noticed that her father was holding something in his left hand, just out of view from where she was standing, just moments ago.

Clara moved towards him, and handed him the pile of letters.

"How about I give you these, and in return you give me what you're holding in your left hand."

Snape showed his casual smile: his sneer.

"No."

"Dad, you know how long I've waited for that letter!"

"Yes, I know. So what?"

"So, damn it, give it to me!"

"Language, Clara."

"Ugh! Oh dear father, kindly hand me my letter, please?"

"Better, but you still can't make me, Clara."

"Ugh! Oh, you so don't want to go there, Dad."

Snape, sensing the seriousness to her voice, decided to stop aggravating his adopted daughter and handed her the long awaited Hogwarts acceptance letter. Clara jumped up and down with excitement holding the letter tightly. As she continued to hop up and down, Snape decided to comment on the fact that she hadn't even opened it yet.

"Chill, dad I'm getting to that."

"I fail to understand how you can be excited about something you haven't even read yet."

"I won't ever experience this moment again, Dad, so let me experience it the way I please."

Clara put down the letter and wiped her slightly sweaty hands on the thighs of her baggy sweats. Snape, watching this with amused eyes, reached over to reclaim the letter to his possession. But Clara saw him and snatched the letter away from his reach.

"Okay okay, I'll open it!"

Clara peeled the seal off, careful not to tear it, and pulled out the two pieces of paper. Eyes racing to the top of the page, Clara excitedly began to read out loud the contents of the letter.

"Miss Prince. Eek! We are, oh my gosh, pleased to inform you. That, oh my gosh I can't believe this is happening! You. Have. Beenacceptedinto, HOGWARTS school of witchcraft and wizardry! YES!"

After reading the letter with many interrupting exclamations, Clara jumped around and began to do a weird happy dance…Or, whatever it was.

"I am going to Hogwarts! I am going to HOGWARTS! I AM GOING TO HOGWARTS!"

Clara chanted as she moved around the room. Running up stairs only to reappear moments later, fully dressed.

"Dad, take me SHOPPING!"

Snape groaned. His daughter wasn't even a teenager yet, but already had all the traits of one. He prepared to be bombarded with begging as he went back to his paper, and answered his routine answer to everything.

"No."