Year One - Chapter 3.


The Great Hall was completely huge, there were four tables placed in parallel, one for each house and one in the background. In the table where the teachers were, I found my father, sitting next to the great Albus Dumbledore and I smiled at him in the most discreet way possible.

Professor McGonagall placed a small stool with an old pointy hat on top of it. The only thing I did know about the selection was that we had to put the hat on our heads to know in which house we will be sorted, I always thought that it would change the colour of the house or something similar, but I never imagined that the hat would say our house, so I was surprised to hear that he started singing. Who would have thought that even as a witch you would be surprised by things as simple as a talking hat?

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you have a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

We all clapped when the hat finished singing, McGonagall unrolled a piece of parchment and began to speak.

—When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool. Abbott, Hannah

A blonde-haired girl made her way to the stool and a few moments after putting on the hat, and it shouted 'HUFFLEPUFF!' and one of the tables began to clap loudly.

—Bulstrode, Millicent.

'SLYTHERIN! ' Shouted the hat again. After a while, the hat kept sorting more students into their houses. Harry and Hermione had both been sorted into Gryffindor, so Ron was not so happy with that decision.

—Blimey, now I don't know if I want to be in Gryffindor with her.

—Don't worry Ron, I don't think she's that bad.

I gave him a few pats on the back while McGonagall finally said 'Snape, Eileen' and as I approached the hat I could only hear how everyone started to mutter and talk to each other. What? Did I have my robe backward? Had I ripped my robe in any way? I couldn't help but blush, not only because all the students were talking about me, but also the image of me in my torn robe had come to my mind and probably everyone could see my underwear, even though I had the skirt below it.

As I sat on the stool waiting for the hat to make a decision, I heard several murmurs from some of the students.

—Is this a joke? Does he really have a daughter?

—Poor thing, she probably has a hard time, I don't think that man is capable of loving someone.

I felt like I wanted to cry, do they really think that about my father? I know he is not the most loving man in the world, but he is not a bad person.

After what seemed like hours listening to people say horrible things about my father, finally the hat had shouted his decision, one I wasn't so excited about it.

—GRYFFINDOR!

The hall was completely silent, perhaps because the daughter of the head of the Slytherin house had, not only been sorted in a different house but in the house with which they have always had a great rivalry. I turned to see my father and despite his face showing no emotion, I knew he was not upset or disappointed, faintly and then louder, applause began to be heard from my new house and I walked to the table, sitting next to Hermione.

After the sorting was over and Ron was also chosen in Gryffindor, Dumbledore gave a little speech about not entering the Forbidden Forest and something about the third floor that I didn't really pay much attention to, the only thing on my mind was how hungry I was, I didn't eat a lot at the Malfoy Manor and the chocolates that I ate on the train were simply not enough for me.

When the feast started, Fred and George sat in front of us.

—Hey, Mini Snape.

—If my father hears that, he would kill you.

—So is he really your father?

Said a girl who was sitting next to... George? I blushed a little from all the attention I had now, everyone around us was watching us and I could even see some students from other houses were also looking here.

—Yes, my name wouldn't be Snape if he wasn't.

—I don't mean to offend you —said the girl.— But your father is not the most loving person in the world, so that's why we find it strange that... Well, you know.

I didn't want to listen to this nonsense anymore and all I wanted was to eat before the feast ended, so I came up with the only way they would stop asking me questions about my father (and one way he would be proud too)

—We are discussing this and yet all of you forget the part that I'm still his daughter and I could tell him about all this.

I said while smiling sideways as I had seen Uncle Lucius do several times, even he would be proud to see how everyone just thought that the mashed potatoes were now the most interesting thing in the world.

—Well, you really are his daughter.

Said Fred? Merlin these two guys are like two drops of water.

Finally, I was able to eat without each person asking me if I was my father's daughter and when the feast ended, the prefects were in charge of taking us to the Gryffindor Tower, but Percy (another one of Ron's brothers) grabbed me by the shoulder.

—Eileen, right?

—That's right and yes, I'm the daughter of Professor Snape. Was that all you wanted to ask?

—What? Ah, no, no, actually your uh... Your father asked me to take you with him, he said he wanted to talk to you.

—Oh, okay.

We walked around for a long time and going around several times that I thought Percy had just gotten lost, but finally, we stopped in front of a door, at a part of the castle where the temperature had decreased a little.

—I'll be waiting around here to take you back.

—Thanks, I think I'd be lost if you leave me.

I could see how he smiled a little and just stood there, I opened the door and entered as cautiously as possible, luckily for me, he was very busy looking for something in some drawers so he had his back turned, I approached as stealthily as possible and when I was behind him I hugged him as hard as I could.

—Hi dad, you wanted to talk to me?

I stopped hugging him and he turned around so he could look me in the face.

—I just wanted to remind you that because you are my daughter, you will not receive better treatment than the other students, I will not get you out of detention if you do some mischief and that I know you will do it and I am even more sure of it because I saw you talking with the Weasley twins, don't think I'm happy about that, I'd rather you didn't hang out with them. And don't think I expect to see you have mediocre grades either, for your sake, I hope you pay attention in class. —He said as he put his hand in my hair and messed it up a bit.

—Okay dad, I know. Is there something else?

—No.

I was about to leave his office, but I returned to the chair where I was sitting.

—Can you lend me some parchment? I'd like to send Aunt Cissy a letter.

As soon as he handed me a piece of parchment and a quill, I started writing.

Dear Aunt Cissy.

I know not even a day has passed since Draco and I left, but I already miss you so much.

Despite what I believed, I did not get sorted into Slytherin, but in Gryffindor, I do not know why the hat decided that but I hope you are not disappointed. Draco did get sorted in Slytherin.

I hope you are well and I hope I can visit you for the Christmas holidays.

Loves you,

Eileen Snape.

—Here. Do you think you can send it to her?

When he took the letter, I got up from the chair and stand next to him, since now he was also sitting, I was able to hug him and give him a little kiss on the cheek. I was about to open the door, but I turned to look at him.

—Aunt Cissy gave me a gift before coming here.

—Don't tell me that they bought you the brooms.

—No, she gave me something better. —I thought about it a bit before showing him the photo, at home, we never talked about mum, although I don't know the reason, nobody has ever told me what happened to her.

He looked at the photo for a couple of seconds, then returned it to me.

—Good night, Eileen.

—You're not disappointed because I was sorted into Gryffindor, are you?

—Of course not. Why would I be?

—Well... I know that the Slytherins and Gryffindors don't get along. And I remember that from sometimes you mentioned that Gryffindor's are dunderheads.

—I'm not going to deny that I'm not very... Fond of that house, but that doesn't matter, I'm very... Proud of you, I know you will do great things, no matter what house you are in.

I hugged him as tightly as I could and then I left the room, I had completely forgotten that Percy was outside, I wonder if he was listening and how much he listened.

I decided not to give it too much importance to that and I didn't say anything to him, we walked towards the Tower in almost complete silence, maybe he noticed that my mood had changed and that's why he didn't speak so much, although from time to time he told me some information about the castle.

When I finally got to the girls' room, Hermione and the other girls who were also in Gryffindor were already asleep. I put on my pajamas without trying to make as much noise and finally lay down on the bed, which was the same or even better than the one I had in the Malfoy Manor.

I took the necklace hanging from my neck and opened it, only to see my parents' picture again.

Why my father never wants to talk about her?