Chapter 2: Dumbledore's Office

Upon hearing her name, Adrienne's disposition changed. She inquired about why she hadn't been at school, but Tempus didn't have time for this. She 'politely' told Adrienne that she had already been delayed too much today and had to hurry to meet her father.

As Tempus rushed through the crowds, she checked her watch. She had ten minutes. Ten minutes to buy an owl and then run to the Leaky Cauldron to meet her father. Tempus tried to squeeze past a short and stout woman but the lady rudely thwarted her. Hagrid's head and shoulders stood out above everyone else.

"Oi, Tempus! D'yer need sum help?"

She nodded vigorously in reply. Hagrid grinned, he paved the way for her to the pet shop. When they walked in, Hagrid instructed her to go pick one out while he paid for it in advance.

Tempus looked around. She saw a few gray owls, a couple brown ones she even saw a white one, but the one that caught her attention was the black one. It was solid black with a few white specks on its wings and had glowing green eyes. She had never seen anything like it. Tempus's gasped at its beauty, she could hardly believe that anyone hadn't bought it yet. She rushed to the cage, she went to open it and the worker grabbed her wrist.

"I don't think so girlie," he warned her, "You won't be wanting that one. He's right nasty, that one. He bit the last kid who tried to buy him. If he doesn't sell to someone who can handle him within the next week, we're gonna put him to sleep."

Tempus's eyes widened at this news. She snatched her arm back from the man and rubbed her wrist. She looked over at the owl again. It looked at her with its fierce green eyes, it seemed to be calling her. She had to have that owl, no matter what.

"I want him," she told the man decidedly. He looked at her like she was crazy, but she returned his stare with a cold decisive one. He shrugged towards the cage.

"Your funeral, kid."

Tempus flipped the latch and slowly opened the door. She made direct eye contact with the great bird. They seemed to connect. She felt its desperateness, the frustration of being misunderstood. Tempus could relate perfectly. She herself often felt misunderstood and desperate to make her point known. She stuck her arm towards the cage, and as if right on cue, the bird harmoniously flew to her arm. Tempus smirked at the man triumphantly.

"I think I can handle this," she said valiantly. The man opened his mouth to say something, but Hagrid interrupted.

"Get that bird a cage- we gotta get outta here! We don't wanna be late!" Tempus looked at her watch and groaned. She reached for a bell shaped cage and eased the bird into it. She locked the door, thanked the man and ran out of the store, following close behind Hagrid.

"That's 'n interestin' bird yeh got there," Hagrid mused as they shoved past people. Tempus looked down at her cage and smiled.

"He is isn't he," she replied airily.

"The clerk said he was right dangerous- but I bet he is just misunderstood. I come to find that most 'er like that."

Tempus smiled as she thought of it. Hagrid was right- he was merely misunderstood, just like her, just like him and just like her father. Just misunderstood.

"You are two minutes late," her father said pointedly when she and Hagrid entered the Leaky Cauldron. He had a bag from the Apothecary that was full to the top with ingredients and supplies.

Tempus sat her boxes on the table and sat the cage down as well. She looked up at her father, clearly annoyed.

"Don't get that tone with me- I had a ridiculous amount of obstacles."

Snape raised a dark eyebrow, "What?"

"Well, for starters, I ran into the gruesome twosome- Lucius and Draco. Then I literally ran into this nasty girl-Adrienne and then the man at the pet shop didn't want me to buy this owl because he wanted it put to sleep because it was too aggressive."

Snape looked over at the owl on the table and nodded in approval.

"Well, your owl is amazing. As for meeting the Malfoys- I had my share of problems today as well. I kept seeing students, and they were all feeling obligated to say hello while I obviously didn't want to talk to them. Lucius tried to stir conversation about why I'm allowing you to go to school this year- and I had to dodge him so I could get back here in time...And Adrienne who?"

Tempus gathered her things and followed her father to the nearest fireplace.

"Smith. She's most unpleasant. Do you know her?" She asked automatically even though she knew he did.

Snape took the cage from Tempus as she stepped into the fireplace. Snape's face clouded over. Did he know her? Do I ever.

"Um, yes. She's in my house. You know, Tempus..." he started, as he handed her a small bag of Floo Powder.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"It would be in your best interest to stay away from her. Understand?" Tempus's obsidian eyes searched her father's emotionless face. All she obtained was that he couldn't have been more serious. She nodded quietly.

"Wait- what am I suppose to say?" Tempus asked once she realized that she had no idea where she was going.

Snape smirked, "Dumbledore's Office."

Dumbledore looked at Tempus from over the top of his half moon glasses. He watched her closely, observing her. He had met her before, though, only briefly, but he did know a lot about her from Severus. He knew she would have no problem adjusting to the student life, but he was worried about the students adjusting to her. She was the daughter of possibly the most hated professor Hogwarts had seen in a very long time.

"So, Miss Snape, are you looking forward to being enrolled here?" he inquired. Tempus and her father were sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk. Tempus was fully dressed in the school's robes with her Hogwarts tie. She knew that every other eleven year old that would soon be entering the building would be wearing one. It signified inferiority. She, at the age of sixteen, was ranked among the youngest Hogwarts accepted. This group was filled with little children with dim premonitions about what the Wizarding World was. At the moment she was dressed the same as all the little snot nosed dunderheads who didn't know that magic could be used for evil. That didn't know what wormwood or monkshood was. Who didn't have any idea what Occlumency is. More than half of those kids hadn't even heard about Hogwarts until their letter arrived.

"Yes, and I'm looking even more forward to getting out of these pre-sorting robes."

Her father shot her a disapproving look. He was beginning to think she was becoming ungrateful and he wouldn't tolerate any disrespect to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore on the other hand chuckled and nodded.

"Yes of course. A girl of your age would not relish the idea of being dressed as all the underclassmen. Now Severus, you have told me before that Tempus has been in private tutoring, but I must ask you where you think she places. Would you say she's ahead or behind others in her year."

Without any hesitation, Severus replied, "Ahead by far, Headmaster. She is already excelling at first term Seventh year work." Dumbledore nodded interestedly and observed Tempus.

"Good, good. Well, that being as it may, I think it best that we enroll her with kids her own age." He looked over at Severus as if suspecting objection and when he got none he nodded. Dumbledore hurriedly signed the enrollment papers and handed them to Severus so he could do the same.

Dumbledore got up and walked next to Tempus's chair. Out of habit and good manners, Tempus rose to her feet. He extended his hand to her. She took it cautiously and shook it.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Snape," he said officially, "You will be sorted with the rest of the students in a few hours."