"What if I'm a squib?"

"You're not a squib, Eileen."

"How can you be so sure? My letter hasn't arrived yet; it must be because I'm a squib."

"I can assure you, you're not a squib. Have you forgotten the day your magic appeared and set my clothes on fire? Now, finish your dinner before it gets cold."

I chuckled a bit at that memory, but soon my smile faded. I was 7 or 8 years old when my magic appeared. It was a winter day, and I was arguing with my dad over a sweater. Despite the freezing cold outside, I was angry and was making a fuss over having to put on a sweater. I must've grabbed his robe at some point because it started to catch on fire.

What I was never able to tell my dad was that, since that day, I haven't had a spur of accidental magic. Unlike my cousin, who would always break a vase whenever he got upset.

I continued eating my dinner with a diminished enthusiasm. I'm already 11. It's almost the end of July. I still haven't received my Hogwarts letter.

It just means one thing.

I'm a squib.

After I finished my dinner, I placed the dishes in the sink, and made my way to the stairs.

"Clean your plate."

"Why? I don't have to do that at the manor; the house-elves do it."

"Do you see any house-elves around here?"

"Ugh!"

I went back to the kitchen to clean the stupid dishes. If I'm being honest, I'm not even sure I did it properly, I just tried to clean them as quickly as possible. I'm so used to my life at Malfoy Manor I completely forget that at my actual house I must do mundane things like clean my room or wash the dishes.

Maybe my dad is preparing me for my life as a Squib.

The Malfoys are not related to me in any way, but they've been taking care of me since I was a toddler so that my dad could go to work at Hogwarts as a professor without having to worry about me.

My aunt Cissy and uncle Lucius can be slightly eccentric and highly serious most of the time, but with my cousin Draco and myself, they turn into a whole different person, being affectionate and they spoil us excessively. They've never made me feel like a stranger or someone they felt obligated to take care of; I was always treated as if I were their daughter.

"Can I go to my room now, or are you going to make me do more house-elf work?"

"That's all, but if you're so eager to keef doing house-elf work so badly..."

"Nope!" I exclaimed, popping the p. "Good night, Dad."

I ran up the stairs to my room. These days the weather has been getting a bit hotter, which is why I always had my window opened, and as soon as I entered my room, I was greeted with the sight of not one but two owls on the windowsill.

One owl was a beautiful snowy owl that I immediately recognised as the Malfoy's owl. I knew she always liked it when I stroked her head, so I did that while looking for some treats to give her. I grabbed the letter that she was carrying, sealed with the Malfoy seal, and with the handwriting, I could tell it was from Draco.

Eileen

I got my letter yesterday; did you get yours? Mother says we're going to Diagon Alley this next Wednesday to buy everything that we need, and she'd like to know if you'll be going with us.

Draco Malfoy.

I left the letter on the desk in front of me, and nervously took the letter from the other owl, a brown one. Unlike the other owl, this one flew away without waiting for a reply or a treat. I kept my eyes on the owl for a couple of seconds, watching it disappear among the clouds, but soon I turned my attention to the envelope I was holding in my hands.

Miss E. Snape
Second room on the left, first floor.
Spinner's End, 7.
Cokeworth.

I turned the letter over in my hands, letting out a small squeal of excitement when I saw the Hogwarts seal on the envelope, making me rip out the paper to pull out its contents quickly, my levels of excitement rising with each word I read.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Orden of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Snape,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September . We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

With the letter in hand, clutching it tightly, I ran out of my room and dashed down the stairs. At the bottom, I nearly stumbled, but quickly caught hold of the handrail, saving myself from a fall. Once I regained my balance, I made my way to the living room. I knew my dad would be there. He always has the habit of reading a book before he goes to sleep.

"It's here!" I exclaimed as soon as I opened the door, waving the letter in my hand and jumping up and down. "I told you I wasn't a squib." I said while sticking out my tongue to him, laughed and handed him the letter.

"How silly of me to think you were one." He said sarcastically while reading the letter.

"I also got a letter from Draco. He got his yesterday and they're going to buy everything next week. Can I go with them?"

"I don't see why not."

"Thank you!"

After giving him a hug, I made my way back upstairs to my room. Settling into my desk chair, I grabbed a piece of parchment to write a reply to Draco.

Dear Draco,

Guess what? My letter just arrived! I can't wait to get there and for us both to be sorted into Slytherin..

My dad gave me permission to go with you to Diagon Alley. Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

Eileen Snape

Sealing the letter in an envelope, I handed it over to the owl. I watched intently as it flew into the sky, gradually shrinking into a tiny dot until it vanished completely. As soon as it disappeared from sight, I couldn't contain my excitement and burst into laughter, collapsing onto my bed.

I'm going to Hogwarts!

? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル? モニル?

It felt like an eternity waiting for it to be Wednesday, but today was finally the day! I had got up earlier than usual, even though I didn't get much sleep because I stayed until late last night imagining how my life is going to be in Hogwarts and wondering what kind of wand I'm going to have. My very own wand!

Who wouldn't be excited?

I had just got out of the shower when I heard my dad calling me for breakfast, so I quickly changed (it was lucky that I had decided what to wear last night) into a black dress with short sleeves and a white collar. I combed my hair and put on a simple black headband, leaving the rest loose.

Walking down the stairs, I could smell that my dad had made pancakes for breakfast, so after helping him set the table, I immediately sat down to eat.

"Eating quickly will not make time go any faster. This isn't your first time going to Diagon Alley, why are you so excited?" My dad asked.

"I'b sowry"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, either."

"I'm sorry. And no, I know it's not my first time going there, but,' I replied, emphasising the 'but' "I'm finally going to buy my wand, dad! I've been dreaming about this day since forever."

My dad shook his head and continued eating today's issue of The Daily Prophet and drinking coffee. The main article today was about Harry Potter, the Harry Potter who defeated the Dark Lord, and wondering where he had been all these years and if he's going to go to Hogwarts.

I couldn't help but scrunch up my nose a bit. He's probably an arrogant arse thinking he's untouchable just because he's famous, so I hope I'm at least not going to be in the same house as him. I'm already going to have enough with Draco and his sometimes sense of importance just because of his family name.

When I finished the last bite of my pancakes, instead of running to my room, I calmly got up and started to wash the dishes I used. I was trying to be as perfect as possible these days so that my dad wouldn't have an excuse not to let me go.

The only thing I had to pass up the time was reading, so I went back to my room, looking at the books I had on my bookshelf, deciding to read all the volumes of The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle again.

My room was warmer than usual and even with the windows opened, the only air coming in was warm, so I opted for reading in the living room, lying down on the sofa. I was already in the middle of the second issue when out of the corner of my eye I saw the fireplace lighting up with green flames. Within seconds, Aunt Cissy walked into the room.

"Hi, Aunt Cissy!" I exclaimed as I got up from the sofa to hug her.

"Hello, sweetheart. Ready to go to Diagon Alley?"

"The only way to get her to calm down was by telling her she wouldn't go today. Good day, Narcissa." My aunt laughed as she ran her fingers through my hair. While both were talking, I went back to my comic books and stacked them neatly on the coffee table. "Good day as well, Severus. Thanks for letting her go. We'll be back at 4. Let's go, darling. Your uncle and Draco are already waiting for us there."

"See you later, Dad."

My aunt and I left via Floo Powder, stating our destination as The Leaky Cauldron, and I closed my mouth and eyes to avoid the powder from getting inside. A couple of seconds later, when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was no longer in my living room.

When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the living room but in a small bar, with the lights barely lighting the place. We stepped out of the fireplace and made our way to the entrance to Diagon Alley, dodging other customers that got in our way. The looks of some of them made me feel uneasy with their heavy drinking and smoking, so I tried to get as close to my aunt as possible.

"Aunt Cissy? Why didn't we just apparate directly in Diagon Alley?"

"It's dangerous to do so this time of the year, when everyone is shopping for their school supplies. We could cause an accident."

We reached a red brick wall at the bar, and my aunt tapped one brick three times. This created a hole big enough for us to pass through. The cobblestone street beyond had shops and people going in and out of them..

It wasn't difficult to find Draco and Uncle Lucius; their platinum hair made them stand out int the crowd. They were outside Potage's Cauldron Shop.

"Hi, Draco. Hi, Uncle Lucius."

"Hey Eileen, did you read the second page of the acceptance letter? I thought it was a lie that first years aren't allowed to have their own brooms."

"No, I haven't read it, to be honest." I lied. Truth was, I had read it so many times that I had it memorised. "Why can't we have our own brooms?"

"I dunno, some dumb rule, just like not being able to be on the Quidditch team."

That part didn't bother me as much as it bothered him. I love flying. I mean, who wouldn't? So, it's a bit of a bummer that I won't be able to do it for an entire year, but not playing Quidditch? I do like it, but I'm just a casual fan and had never considered trying out for the team. I don't think I'd be very good at it. I probably would get hit in the face with a Bludger.

I turned around, intending on going into the store, when Draco grabbed me by the arm, pulling me away.

"No need to go in. We already bought some things for you too."

"Oh, alright..."

We headed to Madam Malkin's while my uncle was buying out books. I was a bit (or maybe a lot) disappointed over the fact that I couldn't buy my own books. It was one thing I was most looking forward to.

"Very well, children, go inside and buy your new robes. I'll be waiting for you at Ollivanders."

"Yes, mother."

As soon as we stepped foot inside the store, we heard the faint sound of bells, and a plump woman dressed in a light purple robe walked from behind the counter.

"Good day, sweethearts. Oh, you must be young mister Malfoy, yes? We received a letter from your parents. And I presume you're the girl they mentioned in their letter?"

"I suppose so, yeah, ma'am. Draco's my cousin."

"Very well. Hop onto these stools, please. My assistant will start measuring you."

She guided us to the back of the store, into a room filled with mirrors, fabrics, and sewing materials. There were three stools lined up next to each other, facing the window. I hopped onto the last stool, the one farthest from the door, and Draco took the one next to me. A young woman in her twenties approached us and began taking our measurements for the robes.

"Ouch! Be careful with that needle if you don't want my father to find out."

"Merlin's beard, Draco, you're a baby."

I laughed at Draco's offended face, while in the distance I heard the bells ringing again. I looked up to see who it was; a boy with glasses and black hair was standing in the entrance, although he looked a bit small to be a first-year student, although it might be over the fact that he's wearing clothes three times too big.

After chatting with Madam Malkin, the boy hopped onto the stool next to Draco, and another girl started taking his measurements.

"Hi." Draco greeted. "Are you going to Hogwarts, too?"

"Yeah."

"Nice. My father is buying our books, and my mother is looking at wands. I'm thinking about pestering them to buy me a broom to take it to school with me. Did you know that first-years are not allowed to have one? It's stupid. Do you have your own broom?"

"No."

"Do you at least play Quidditch?"

"No."

"Draco." I sighed. "Stop bombarding him with questions. Just ignore my cousin. He's an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot." Draco said with a frown. I simply stuck my tongue out at him and smiled. "Anyway, do you know which house you'll be in?"

"No."

"Well, nobody really knows until we arrive, but we'll be in Slytherin, won't we, Leen?"

"That's right! Can you imagine being in Gryffindor? I think my dad would kill me."

"Wow! Look at that man!"

The boy and I turned our heads to the window Draco was pointing and we could see that outside there was a huge man (and by huge, I mean huge), with a beard and hair that covered almost his entire face.

"That's Hagrid." The boy said. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I've heard of him. He's a servant, right?"

"Gamekeeper."

I decided to stay out of the conversation. It was quite obvious he was getting annoyed.

"It's the same thing. I've heard he's wild, lives in a hut, gets drunk occasionally, tries to do magic, and ends up setting things on fire."

"I think he's great."

"You think so? And why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I rolled my eyes. Draco always managed to make people feel uncomfortable. "But they were our kind, right?"

"Draco!" I slapped him on the head. I can't believe he just asked that.

"They were a wizard and a witch, if that's what you mean."

"The others shouldn't be allowed into Hogwarts; they're not like us. Everything should stay within the families of ancient wizards. By the way, you never told us your last name."

"Your things are ready." Madam Malkin handed the boy his robes, and he didn't answer Draco's question. He just seemed relieved to leave. I don't blame him. "Well, see you at Hogwarts, I guess."

The boy left the shop, and I just shook my head while waiting for our robes to be finished. After a few minutes, they finally gave them to us, and we left the shop, walking up the street towards Ollivanders.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"What did I do now?"

"What did you do? Draco, come on, you saw the boy was uncomfortable, yet you kept asking questions and insulting the gamekeeper. Couldn't you keep your mouth shut?"

"Hey, if he was upset, it's not my fault he didn't say anything."

I sighed. It was impossible to make Draco see reason, so I shut my mouth and continued walking to Ollivander's, where my aunt was already outside, waiting for us.

"What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Mother, it's not our fault the employees don't know how to do their job properly."

My aunt scowled but didn't say another word. I'd never been inside of Ollivander's, so it felt somewhat magical being here, even though the store was not the tidiest; all the wand boxes were piled up from floor to ceiling and covered in a fine layer of dust. The rest of the store was empty except for a small counter and a chair in the corner.

"Good afternoon." An old man emerged from behind some boxes and approached us. He had white hair and silver eyes.

"Good afternoon, Mr Ollivander. My son and niece are here for their wands."

"Of course, of course. Come here, young man..."

Draco approached Ollivander, and the man pulled a long measuring tape.

"Which is your wand arm?"

"Right."

"All right, hold out your arm while I take measurements." The tape started to measure Draco in all possible ways; from hand to shoulder, from foot to head, even around his head, while Ollivander turned around and navigated through the shelves, putting some of the wands on the counter.

"Try this one."

Draco took the wand, but nothing happened. Ollivander continued giving him wand after wand for several minutes until finally, after Draco waved one of them, green-coloured lights emerged.

"Very well, Mr Malfoy. This wand's made of hawthorn, ten inches long, with unicorn hair, and it's flexible. Now, young lady, your turn."

Draco kept examining his new wand, while I approached Ollivander, and started the same routine he did with Draco.

"Your wand arm?"

"Left."

It took him about five wands to find the right one for Draco, but I had already tried more than ten, and the most I had accomplished was destroying a wand box. I was starting to feel very disappointed, thinking again that I was a Squib and didn't have enough magic to use a wand correctly, until I finally took one and felt a warmth spreading throughout my body. When I waved it, red and green lights shot out of the tip, creating a minor explosion.

"Excellent! Well, very well, Miss Malfoy."

"Snape."

"Oh, interesting... This wand is made of yew, with dragon heartstring, 12 ½ inches long, and slightly flexible."

"What's interesting, Mr Ollivander?" I turned to look at him and noticed how he quickly glanced at my aunt and then focused his gaze back on me.

"Nothing, young lady, just the rambling of a poor old man."

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but remained silent. My aunt paid for the wands, and we left the shop, Ollivander's words, and the look he gave my aunt replaying in my mind. But I knew if I asked her, she would say the same thing. Maybe I could ask my dad.

We met my uncle Lucius, and Draco didn't waste any time complaining about not being able to bring a broom. He kept pestering for about 10 minutes until my uncle got tired.

"Even if I bought you a new one, Draco, you can't bring it to school. It would stay at the manor the whole year, and you wouldn't be able to use it. Let's wait until next year, and I'll buy you both the latest broom."

"Wait, I'm getting one too?"

"Of course."

"Thank you!"

Before we left, our last stop was at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, where they bought ice cream for both of us. Draco ordered chocolate mint, while I opted for a simple vanilla flavour. We sat at one of the outdoor tables, enjoying our ice creams. My aunt and uncle were discussing various things about the Ministry while Draco and I talked about Hogwarts and classes.

When we finished, the four of us went to the Leaky Cauldron. My uncle and Draco used Floo Powder to go to the Malfoy Manor, while my aunt and I used it to go to my house. When I opened my eyes and saw my living room (with the comics still on the coffee table), I stepped out of the fireplace. My aunt took out my things from her bag, which she had shrunk so she wouldn't have to carry everything, and placed them on the coffee table, where she restored them to their original size.

"I hope you can spend the week with us before going to Hogwarts. I'm going to miss you a lot, dear."

"I'm going to miss you too, Aunt Cissy."

She hugged me and kissed me on the forehead, said goodbye to my dad, and used the Floo again, this time to return to the Manor.

"How was your trip to Diagon Alley?"

"It was great! Draco and I met another boy who will be with us at Hogwarts, although he probably won't talk to us because Draco bombarded him with a thousand questions. You know how Draco is. Then we went to get our wands. I had to try about 15 of them until one finally sparked green and red, and after that, we got ice cream... Uncle Lucius also said he'll buy us the newest broom next year, when we can finally take them to school!"

"Sounds like an exciting day. What's your wand made of?"

"Oh, um..." I took a piece of paper from a hidden pocket in my dress, where I had written down what my wand was made of so I wouldn't forget, and handed my wand to my dad so he could see it. "It's yew, with dragon heartstring core, 12 ½ inches, slightly springy. Mr Ollivander said it was interesting, but when I asked why, he just looked at Aunt Cissy and said, 'they're the ramblings of a poor old man.' Do you know why he said that, dad?"

"I have no idea."

"Huh."

"Why don't you go up to your room and put away your things? I have a surprise for you there."

I completely forgot about the wand and ran up to my room. When I opened the door, I saw a beautiful trunk at the foot of my bed, made of ebony wood and had the initials E. E. S. written in silver.

I went back downstairs to hug my dad and thank him for the trunk. He helped me bring all my things up to my room, and I started putting them inside the trunk, all with a smile on my face.

When I finished packing, I lay down on my bed to read a book I had taken from my father's bookshelves, How to Evade Dark Arts. I've always been very interested in dark arts, not to do evil like the Dark Lord, but to better understand them, as I found them genuinely fascinating and knew they could be very useful, even to save someone's life. But people often dislike them because they tend to involve the use of blood, so that's enough for them to say that dark things should be prohibited.

My aunt and uncle had no problem buying me dark arts books, but my dad did (which I find a bit hypocritical considering he's also interested in them), so here at home, I had to settle for reading the few books my dad had about defending against them.

I had already read the book at least twice, so it didn't take long for me to fall asleep while reading.