The sun was annoyingly bright early Sunday morning this first of September, Alice Ashford grumbled to herself as she leaned against the outside of Flourish and Botts in her Hogwarts robes. The pockets bulged slightly as her hands were fisted in annoyance, the left one grasping a most certainly ruined parchment bearing the seal of Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbldore sent it via owl four days ago, much to the surprise of her parents as well as herself. She pulled it out for what must have been the sixth time to reread the instructions for her current situation.

Dear Miss Ashford,

It has come to my attention that as you prepare for your O.W.L.S this year you have already set your sights on the potential career of healer after your schooling. Professor McGonagall believes you have shown an aptitude for this and told you this in a meeting with her last year. As such, I have ordered your teachers to help you excel in the O.W.L.S in the subjects that will focus on this path. Because of this please do not board the Hogwarts Express on September 1st. Instead I will send a professor to meet you in Diagon Alley at 9 AM sharp to gather some higher level items for projects you will learn and hopefully use in your end of the year exams.

All the Best,

Albus Dumbledore

According to the chimes she had heard, 9 AM had passed about ten minutes ago and yet no professor had appeared around her. Her parents had sent her off early to make sure she could withdraw any needed coin from Gringotts, and so she didn't have time to stop at the local cafe and grab a coffee.

"Not like I have anything to do today…" Alice took a look at her chewed nails and tried to calm herself down. It would do no one any good to snap at Hogwarts staff before the term had even begun, although it might be an impressive new record if she received a detention before the first years were even sorted.

The owls in the window across the street blinked slowly in her direction, so Alice walked over and watched them as some form of entertainment. Her parents had informed her this morning that her luggage and cat, Jasper, were to be delivered to Hogwarts ahead of time because she was not expected to be back in time to catch the train. She assumed that meant that she was either going to Floo or side along apparate to Hogwarts when all her shopping was done.

The truth was she was slightly thrilled that she was going to get a chance to really show off in what classes she could. Defense of the Dark Arts was not a strong point for her but Herbology, Potions, and Charms she had a firm grasp on. Mostly Potions in all hindsight but that was from years of cooking and baking with her mother from when she was a wee child. She had learned the patience and proper measuring from those so she found brewing in the dark dungeons somewhat soothing and nostalgic for her.

As if summoned by her thoughts on potion making, a sudden black shadow emerged behind her reflection, a stark contrast to the sunny rays blasting down from above.

"Miss Ashford…" the drawl was unmistakable, the baritone voice sending an instinctual tremor down Alice's spine. It was quite a good idea to calm herself in the last few minutes, because Severus Snape suffered no fools. She was no fool, or so she would like to believe. Abandoning the owls, Alice turned to face the potions master.

"Professor Snape," Alice cast her eyes down briefly in greeting, but also because she had turned right into the sun. "Are you the one I am supposed to meet this morning?"

Snape looked as annoyed as Alice was pretending not to feel. "Professor Dumbledore has told me of your academic plans for this year, and has informed me of how I am to spend my last morning free of students."

Alice cocked her head to one side and couldn't help when she felt her eyebrows raise up at the man. She was nowhere near Snape's favorite student, she would never say otherwise, starting with simply the fact her robes bore touches of crimson instead of emerald. But the two had always been professionally cordial, and so she had no idea what she had done to earn such agitation in such a short period of time. After all he was the one who wasn't aware what 9 AM sharp apparently meant. She decided to take a risk. Still making sure her body exuded respect through posture she looked into his eyes.

"Is there something wrong sir?"

Snape waved his hand in between them dismissively. "Nothing the concerns, you Miss Ashford. I am simply not thrilled at the aspect of crowds of imbecile first years unable to grasp the concept of clockwise or counter clockwise."

"Well perhaps luck will be on your side and half of them will fall off their brooms in flying class." Alice shrugged. "Break their arms and out for a week."

Snape stilled for a beat. "A mere week will not cure the inevitable headache."

"Well then cross your fingers that someone curses the broom all semester."

Once again Snape paused before turning toward the rest of Diagon. "Regardless, we need to be quick on our stops today. I figured that we will focus on the Blood Replenishing potion. It is ahead of most fifth years abilities so will be a surprise on the O.W.L.S while also is something you will often need in the healer career. Professor McGonagall has explained your goals after Hogwarts, although she failed to mention why you are so determined and certain so early."

"I didn't mention it, but my grandfather died of a magical curse when I was 9. It was an accident when it happened, but I remember how mad I was that I couldn't do anything to even try to help him." Alice nodded appreciation as Snape held the door for her to Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. "I understand the healers did everything they could, and that there was nothing they could do for him in the end. But ever since I started learning about potions and plants I've wanted to try and figure out ways to heal the unhealable."

"Admirable," Snape started grabbing ingredients from the shelf and placing it on the counter. "But do not let the praise of others inflate your skill. You are nowhere near the skill level to perform the complicated brews you are talking about."

"Well then I guess it's right good that you've been instructed to help me reach that skill in between your pep talks…" Snape's eyebrow rose as he looked down his nose at her. "...sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for impertinence." Snape reached for the ingredients after paying with her money and placed them gently into his satchel, ignoring Alice narrowing her eyes. They exited the apothecary and Snape started at a quick clip down the alley. "Now I need you to stay by my side for the remainder of this trip. We are in need of several rare ingredients and to procure them we must venture someplace students should not explore."

Alice's steps were quicker than her usual gait, instinctively closing distance until she was stepping on the man's shadow. "I didn't realize blood replenishing potion had such ingredients?"

"It's not for your potion, it's for my own personal inventory."

"Oh…" Alice suddenly realized the sun was gone, blocked out by a sort of haze hovering over the buildings and deepening the shadows. Snape's cloak billowed behind him and she resisted the urge to grab onto it to make sure they didn't get separated. She had never ventured this way with her parents before, but she knew where they were striding towards. Knockturn Alley was seen as an outskirt, both physically and society wise, where curses and danger were whispered more than gossip. The fact that Snape wanted ingredients that could only be purchased here had a flash of concern in her stomach but she shoved that down. She was in danger with him, if anything this would just be a story she could tell later that would add to his persona throughout the castle. Still, Alice's fingers gripped around her cloak tighter, doing everything she could to conceal the school uniform underneath as she rounded several corners and down a side street behind her professor.

In a blessed short period of time all things considering, Snape opened a door underneath a sign "Borgin and Burkes", not even waiting for Alice to enter herself but instead guiding her in with his hand quickly. The store was small, cramped, and made smaller by the complete lack of logical arrangement of the items within it. Shelves were adorned with multiple fixtures, boxes, and books. Several scrolls were unfurled and one seemed to be leaking down it's parchment, something Alice really hoped was red ink. There were large statues and suits of armor pushed up against the walls and into the two windows at the front of the store, and in the middle of the left wall sat a large cupboard with multiple blankets thrown carelessly on top of it. Snape kept his hand on her shoulder blade as he steered her to the counter where a balding, wizened, old man eyed their entrance suspiciously.

"Good evening to you…" his sharp glance bounced between the calm professor and his fidgety student. Alice, searching for something to do with her nerves, gave the man a small nod in greeting. He did not return it.

Snape slid a piece of folded paper to the man. "I am in need of these items, if you have them in stock." The procurer's eyes scanned over the list and offered another nod, and began to walk to a back room hidden behind several shelves. The murmurs and clatter echoed all the way back to the two customers. Whatever was on that list, it sounded like it was going to take the man several minutes at least.

Deciding to try and force some bravery into her current facade, Alice really started looking over the smaller, less imposing items. There was a monkey's paw at eye level she realized, as well as a gold and sapphire necklace with clearly some curse on it based off the numerous "Do Not Touch!" signs. A pity really, Alice thought, because it was truly stunning and she wished she had enough money to purchase something that looked like that. Her family was well off but not pure blood rich, and this appeared to be something the old money only would be able to afford if they had their names engraved somewhere in Gringotts.

Alice was about to turn back to the counter when her eye caught a glow from a lower shelf holding miscellaneous junk on a dusty desk. She bent down and saw what appeared to be a small tube, about the size of her forearm, with a symbol smack in the middle of it pulsing with a white glow. It appeared to be the shape of a flame she thought, as the white light seemed to be alive as it flickered and brightened throughout the entire symbol, sometimes even moving off the edges.

"What do you think this is sir?" Alice's voice seemed to shake Snape from whatever he was focusing on, as if he had momentarily forgotten she was there from her elongated silence. He shifted to her right hand side and looked down at the shelf in front of her.

"A bunch of garbage if I had my guess."

Alice shot him a look, mostly blocked by brown curls. "I mean the glowing symbol."

Snape shifted again and a frown appeared at the corners of his mouth. "What are you talking about Ashford? There is no glowing symbol, just metal and dust." He went to straighten up but paused when he caught the insulted look on Alice's face. She didn't know why he was purposefully being obtuse but pretending she was seeing things was not gaining him any points for Professor of the Year.

Alice looked back to the tube, sitting right on top in plain view. The glow had not diminished. In fact she would have sworn it had gotten brighter the more she focused on it. "That's not funny sir." She pointed toward the tube, finger hovering slightly above it. "It's right there, right on the metal."

Snape still had a look of confusion on his face, which was impressive in itself since the man usually either had blank slate or annoyance painted on. He opened his mouth to give a retort, probably exasperated, possibly insulting, when Alice felt her finger gently brush the metal, giving her a shock. Not from simply touching it, but because the warmth that came off of it contradicted everything her brain told her should be fact. She watched the symbol enhance it;s glow to almost blinding before disappearing completely. For a second Alice thought that was it until with quiet hissing the tube slid open revealing an old key on the inside. She was suddenly aware of Snape's hand grasping her shoulder in an almost painful way, but she wasn't sure if he had just placed it there or if she had been blind to it as she stared transfixed at the key.

Snape's low voice suddenly hissed throughout the dust. "Do not touch that! You don't know what it could be." Even with his grip tightening more though Alice barely could look away, trying to unravel the mystery of what was in front of her and why she had a growing pull in the pit of her stomach.

"It's a key sir, even with my brain I can see what it is…" She wouldn't look at Snape, but she could feel the rise in his temper without a glance. Within the briefest instant she pictured the Gryffindor hourglass dropping a hundred more points away, much to Professor McGonagall's chagrin. Still she wouldn't turn away. Whatever magic was on these items was drawing her in, calling to her. Beneath that strong lure inside of her the terror at this fact was screaming at her to listen to the now agitated Professor. It just wasn't loud enough.

"Stupid girl, I clearly meant it could be some for of dark magic on the key. I do not fancy explaining to the Headmaster why the student I was in charge of for a couple hours is suddenly cursed and catatonic at St. Mungo's!"

"Did you really not see the glow?" Alice interrupted his tirade and this time actually turned her head to look at him. His eyes were wide with suspicion and his nostrils flared slightly while him mouth was set in a firm, hard line. She would bet ten Galleons he was resisting the urge to jinx her and drag her out of there, his ingredients be damned.

"There. Was. No. Glow." Every syllable was enunciated. He was definitely trying to keep his professional professor's composure. Five years of being his pupil with some observation abilities had Alice figuring out his simple tells when something was pissing him off.

"I am not a lunatic sir, there was a glowing symbol shaped like fire on the tube. It disappeared once I touched it though…" That was the big mystery. Why had it opened for her? Surely the creepy man still humming in the back had touched and moved it, at least to this shelf. And if he had, why hadn't it opened for him. Alice was certain it hadn't, or else the key would have been removed. He could have sold two items instead of just one hiding another then.

Snape began to pull, but Alice was not a petite doll of a girl, and at almost sixteen years she stood just a little below eye level of the professor himself. Her feet stayed planted while the pull in her stomach grew. There was something about this key, and she didn't believe it had anything to do with dark magic. "I can't explain it sir…but I think the symbol was waiting for me."

That was all Snape needed to hear.

Out of the corner of her eye Alice saw the professor reach underneath his robes with his right hand, his left still clasped harder than ever onto her shoulder. The call inside of her started to scream, silencing any doubt inside as her hand instinctively shot forward. She prayed she was right and mentally apologized to Professor McGonagall for losing the house cup before the term had even begun. Her hand curled around the rusted key just as Snape's wand began to swish behind her.

In an instant one pull of her stomach was quelled and replaced by another, as Alice felt a yank on her navel and her feet lifted off the ground, Snape's hand still clamped tightly on her shoulder, leaving nothing but his yelp of surprise back in the dusty air.