Author's note: I forgot when I was writing that I had the idea that the matron would ask, "How long did the muggles have the child?" She would be told, "Only overnight." She would give Eileen a scathing look. (I'll have to remember that when I fix things)
This chapter went in a different direction than I had intended, but in a good way, I hope.
Wonderful chapter 20
Pure Of Heart
Severus' mother seemed to think it was all right for him to go with the man who was the biggest person he'd ever seen. The boy wasn't too nervous when Hagrid said, "Come on now little feller, follow me."
Sev wasn't sure he like being called 'little' and 'feller' sounded like he was calling a dog. He went along anyway. Hagrid talked the entire time. "Now my cottage is a fair walk down this hill, try to keep up." Each one of Hagrid's steps were about ten of Severus'. The little boy managed to stay not so far behind. "Oh, look o'er there," Hagrid continued. "There's Professor Kettleburn teaching some first years." He pointed away from what Sev figured was Hagrid's cabin. "I nearly forgot. He's got something special to show them today. You're in luck. I think you'd like to see it as well. Let's go see."
A huffing and puffing Snape trotted after Hagrid on his side trip. "I help Professor Kettleburn take care of all the magical creatures hear at Hogwarts. I'm hoping that when he retires, that will be a long way off, I'll know enough to maybe teach care of magical creatures myself." Hagrid hadn't noticed that Severus was getting further behind, until he turned to look. "Oh, sorry there Sev'rus. I forgot you were just a little sprout."
Hagrid stopped walking to let Severus catch up, but he didn't stop talking. "It takes quite a long time to know as much as Professor Kettleburn knows about taking care of magical creatures." He saw the youngster struggling to catch up. "You are quite smaller than the first years. I'm not used to being around kids younger than eleven, then am I?" Before Sev knew it, Hagrid was picking him up in one hand and placing him up on his gigantic shoulder. "Mind you don't pull my hair now." Snape tried to say that he wouldn't, but Hagrid never gave him an inch to. "I bet you're just going to love seeing Sharppie. He was just born a few weeks ago. He's tiny just like you; Professor Kettleburn wanted to give him a little going over to make sure everything was all right. He's about the only one Sharppie's mum would let touch him. She wouldn't even let me, and I've known her since she was born." Hagrid stopped to take a breath. "You don't say much do you Sev'rus?"
Sev didn't have time to answer as Professor Kettleburn called out, "Hello there Hagrid."
"Hello Professor Kettleburn."
"What kid of a creature have you got perched up on your shoulder my young friend?" Kettleburn laughed as he teased.
"Why it's a little wizard," Hagrid joked back. He put Severus down right in front of the professor and the class.
"I can see that. What are you doing with it?"
The other children were all looking directly at Snape. That and the fact that the new adult he had met was missing an arm scared him a bit. He turned back towards Hagrid. It seemed to be the only safe place. He hid behind the groundskeeper's humongous leg.
"I brung him here to see Sharppie." Hagrid looked at the boy hiding behind him. "But if he don't come out, he won't get to see him." The large man turned and knelt down to Severus' size. "You do want to see Sharppie, don't you Sev'rus?"
Severus nodded. He didn't know what Sharppie was, but Hagrid saying how neat it would be had made him want to see what ever it was.
"Then go on over where the other kids are."
Sev shook his head at first.
"Aww, you're braver than that aren't you?"
Snape shrugged.
"I bet you are."
Severus looked around Hagrid towards Professor Kettleburn and the class.
"Go on with you now." Hagrid sidestepped so that Sev was not behind him anymore. Severus turned to look up at Hagrid one more time before deciding it was safe to join the other young wizards.
"Well there," Professor Kettleburn greeted. "Let our guest in to see."
The group of first years parted and let Severus see what they had been blocking from his view. Kneeling in the semicircle of young witches and wizards was a creature that looked like a white horse with a spiral horn growing from its forehead. In front of that there pranced a miniature of it; this was Sharppie, a unicorn colt. Severus' mouth gaped at the sight. One of the kids had said, "Aren't they fantastic?" Sev agreed. In his short life he had never seen anything that beautiful. He asked, "Who do they belong to?"
"They don't belong to anyone," Kettleburn explained. "They're free. They live in the forest."
"That must be a great place."
"In some ways yes; in some ways no." The little boy tilted his head in a questioning expression at the man's statement. "There are dangerous things that live there as well."
"Then why don't they go somewhere else?"
Kettleburn smiled. "You'll understand when you're older."
It seemed to Severus that was the stock answer many adults gave little kids when they didn't want to answer. Severus didn't peruse the question any further. He seemed content with watching the unicorn and her colt. With everyone watching Sharppie frolic, no one noticed Severus taking tentative steps, away from the group, towards the unicorn foal. Sharppie didn't appear to be afraid of the little wizard who was getting closer to him. Sharppie's mother on the other hand was not so inclined to let a strange human, no matter how small that close to her offspring. She stood and gave a threatening snort in Snape's direction. Her head was lowered; her horn at the ready, yet she did not charge.
Simultaneous with the unicorn's intimidation the class gasped; Kettleburn said, "Oh dear not another one", and Hagrid moved toward the little boy in hopes to scoop him up before anything could happen. Severus stood frozen, instinct told him he should not move. Something else told him to say, "Windwillow, I won't hurt your baby."
Hagrid thought something funny was going on. No one had told Sev the unicorn mare's name. He mumbled to himself, "Kid magic?"
Windwillow raised her head, so as not to be pointing her horn at the boy, but still looking directly at him. Sharppie on the other hand had no reservations on getting closer to said boy. Severus was still frozen in place; so afraid of the mare that he couldn't bother to faint. Sharppie playfully nuzzled Severus under his chin, then promptly pushed him so Snape ended up sitting, legs out in front, in the grass. The boy still didn't move, when the unicorn cold's nose touched him, he was flooded with a feeling of pure magic that he could have never imagined. Sharppie circled around the seated child, bucking in the air every few steps. He wanted someone to play with him.
"I'll be - - " Kettleburn muttered.
"I don't believe it," Hagrid added.
"She wouldn't let any of us touch him," one of the students quietly said. "Professor, I thought you said a unicorn would only let people with the purest of hearts touch them."
"I did," Kettleburn replied. He was still in shock himself realizing the ramifications of that fact. This little one must have a pure heart. He wasn't so sure this would be an asset to the child, he knew that even the purest of hearts could be corrupted and/or shattered; only time would tell. At that point in time he only knew he was witnessing something rare and special. He himself had to go through days of purification rituals to be able to go near the unicorns, yet here was a boy who could walk right up to them, now even gently playing with the foal.
Hagrid as well stood looking on in awe. No matter how snarky, brooding, cross, dark, sour, gloomy, resentful, revenge driven, cruel, unkind, callous, mean-spirited, ill-tempered, downright nasty, or any other adjective often used to describe Severus Snape in future, Hagrid would always remember this moment and, until a fateful day more than thirty years later, could think no ill of him.
tbc
