The Choices We Make

Findarto_Sirfalas

Story Summary:
A single choice can define our lives. What happens when Severus takes the task of picking Harry up from Hagrid ? Onwards to a world were the Trio, Neville, Ginny, and a few of your other favorites are Slytherins, Evil is redefined, and no one ever accepts on of those damn lemondrops.

Chapter 01 - A Twist of Fate

Posted:
09/13/2004
Hits:
1,572
Author's Note:
Thanks to my betas, Amy and Arden.




A sharp, loud, piercing scream followed by a violent emerald green light was
all that could be heard or seen from the inside of the Potter Manor. The
one year old Harry James Potter descended into unconsciousness, never to
know the act he had just committed until ten years later.



~ ~ ~

Thump. A very disheveled Harry Potter rolled off his
cot and fell to the floor.

A few seconds later, he heard it again.

"WAKE UP, POTTER!" yelled his insufferable brat of a cousin, Dudley Dursley.

"This morning just keeps getting better and better," mumbled Harry as he picked himself up from the floor.

A mere five minutes later Harry was busy in the kitchen fixing his relatives, if you could call them that, breakfast.

"Don't burn the bacon this time, boy," his Aunt Petunia demanded, sneering at him slightly.

Last time Harry had made breakfast for the Dursleys, he had burnt the bacon because Dudley had tripped him on his way to take it off the stove. His punishment had been a knock to the head with the pan and no supper for a week.

"Yes... Aunt etunia," Harry answered, straining not to answer back with a smart remark.

Around noon, the post arrived. The Dursley family and the Potter boy were all sitting around the kitchen table eating the lunch Harry had prepared.

"Dudley, get the post," Vernon Dursley said distractedly whilst reading the newspaper.

"Make Harry get it!" Dudley whined.

"Harry, get the post," said Vernon.

"Make Dudley get it," Harry said dully, knowing that he had no hope ever of fair treatment.

"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley," he replied nonchalantly.

Before Harry could be hit with the cane, He jumped up from his chair and got the post. Seeing that he had a letter in the stack, Harry made sure to slip it into his cupboard to make sure that there hadn't been a mistake. Giving his uncle the other post, Harry made his way back into his cupboard under the stairs and glanced at the strange letter that read:

Mr. H Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey


Shrugging off the weird address, Harry tore into the letter and let out a
strange gasp of shock as he read it.

Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books
and equipment.

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

Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress


After reading through the rest of the letter, Harry saw something else
written which he had not spotted before:

Should we not receive your owl in three days time, we shall dispatch an
official staff member to consult with your relatives.

Deciding it best to wait, Harry decided to put the letter away and give it
more thought in three days time.

~ ~ ~
Three Days Later.
~ ~ ~

A loud rapping noise echoed through the house. It was with annoyance
that Mr. Vernon Dursley opened the door to see a strangely dressed man with
greasy hair standing there with an unpleasant scowl on his face.

"What do you want?" Vernon all but spat at the man.

"I'm here for Potter," the man said, scrunching his face in disgust as he said the name.

"You ... You ... You're one of those .. those ... freaks!" Vernon whispered, enraged.

"Well... we're not letting him go to that freak school with that ignorant fool," Vernon seethed.

"I, Severus Snape, have been sent here to retrieve a student on the orders of Albus Dumbledore," the man said, calmly and slowly. "And an overweight Muggle like you will not stand in my way," Severus said, drawing out his wand slowly and deliberately.

"Now, I suggest you Give. Me. The. Boy," he continued, stressing every syllable.

A few seconds later, a very underweight and shy looking boy was thrown at him and the door was slammed shut.

"Come with me, Potter, " commanded Severus, stalking off towards a familiar house, "and be quick about it."