The Severus Snape Saga-Book 1, the Sordid Hat

YEAR 1: Severus Snape and the Sordid Hat

Prologue

My name is Severus Snape, I'm 45 years old now and frankly, I don't think age will ever mellow me if I wait a thousand years (though I'm not likely to live that long). Now I teach at Hogwarts school of witchcraft of wizardry, an institution where the young witches and wizards of today are trained to become great and powerful sorcerers who will make their mark upon history or die trying. At least, MY students will but I can't speak for those from the other houses. The other houses....just thinking about them makes me snort with poisonous derision. Oh, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs aren't so bad I suppose (though they are not as glorious as my house) but the Gryffindors are the ones who make my brain heat up faster than a frozen hard boiled egg exposed to igniting charms. It is the Gryffindors who deliberately put my precious students down as schemers and dark wizards. And it is the Gryffindors who possess that horrible reincarnation of the man I will not cease to hate whether I live a thousand years or not. Yes, Harry Potter is a Gryffindor like his cursed father and the same man's selfish, weak, rule-breaking scum sympathizers!

If Harry had been in my house my animosity wouldn't have lessened, but I might have gone to the trouble of masking it. But I'm getting ahead of myself. To understand this story you must go back in time, to when I was eleven years old and nothing more than an eager first year who believed the world was at his feet. The only part of the world that has ever been at my feet, however, as I realize now, is that part of the world on which my feet rest.....

Chapter 1: Dealing in Darkness

It was a cold, dreary day. Wind whistled through shutters and trees like some shrill, sinister unwanted guest. Fog, a sinuous and pessimistic animal in its own right was slowly seeping from the coasts inland and casting its sinister pall over the country side. And to crown all, rain was flowing down as though the sky's heart had been broken by the sun.

These were the kinds of days that made you think that life was a miserable pastime engineered by a sadistic greater power. These were the kinds of days when even hot chocolate couldn't cheer you up. These were just the kinds of days that Severus Snape loved.

Severus was an eleven year old boy, but unlike most eleven year old boys he didn't spend his time trying to perfect his skills at tetherball or cricket or some such activity. Severus spent most of his time curled up on one of the couches in his family's vast manor reading books. This wasn't so strange on its own, but the titles of the books which Severus read were what set him apart. They included such devious tomes as "Elementary Dark Magic" or "How to unleash hell: A hundred curses for destroying your enemies." He was currently reading one entitled "To the death: Curses for putting your opponent into the big sleep." Severus wasn't any ordinary kid for a very important reason: He was a wizard.

But he wasn't alone. His parents were wizards too, but as to the kind of magic they practiced it might have been better if they'd been born without any magical prowess at all. Severus' mother was a dark sorceress who spent most of her time experimenting with various illegal potions trying to produce the perfect poison. His father, on the other hand, was a retired auror (one of the magical police force) who had retired in order to further his knowledge of the dark arts for purposes so sordid that I will not record them in writing. Suffice it to say that his father had a very forcible way of dealing with his old enemies. As an auror he had been the most feared person to be caught by, for he more often than not tortured his captives in order to break them and had even developed a hushed up improvement on the Cruciatus curse.

This, however, was the last thing on Severus' mind as he read the books. He didn't know that he was, in fact, reading books which would teach him how to do things most fully grown wizards didn't have the need or the lack of decency to do. He had just reached the scelesti sanguinium curse, which turned your victim's blood into a pitchlike substance which would clog their blood vessels horribly painfully but subside just as they were about to pass out, and then, when they had regained their breath, it would start all over again until its wielder performed the countercurse...or was killed first.

Severus looked at the assortment of unfortunate creatures he had used for his experiments with dark magic. They were mostly all Puffskeins, but his horrible treatment had rendered them unrecognizable. One was simply a mass of burnt and charred fur which had been the unfortunate victim of a blood burning hex. Another one was constantly going into choking convulsions because of an octopus heart jinx (which made the victim's arteries wrap around the heart for brief periods of time without causing any permanent damage but hurting horribly). There was just one last one and Severus decided not to waste this one on his experiments. Instead, he pulled the one which was convulsing and muttered "sclelesti sanguinium" at it, while pointing his father's wand at it. The creature let out an ear piercing shriek as the pitch clogged its blood vessels, and Severus decided it would be a better idea to put the thing out of its misery. "Avada Kedavra" he whispered, sending a flash of green light into the tortured Puffskein, silencing it forever.

Severus didn't know, of course, that Avada Kedavra was a curse which required huge amounts of magic power behind it and that its use against a fellow human being would be enough to earn you a life sentence in Azkaban, the wizard prison. All he knew was that for some reason his father thought it important that he learn how to do the curse just in case he...got snipped. Severus' father used the term "got snipped" to mean "getting caught in a tight squeeze or duel where it's you or the other guy that has to bite it, and don't you forget it, son." Severus chucked the Puffskein into the basket near his chair and then pulled the one he hadn't subjected to horrors from its cage. It was his favorite of the nest of Puffskeins he had filched for his experiment. He didn't know why, but he just hadn't had the heart to torture this one and then kill it. Maybe it was the color. Unlike its fellow Puffskeins, this one was green with a little grey fur which looked like silver when you held it under a bright light. It reminded Severus of his inevitable destiny at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It reminded him that he, like his family, was a boy destined for only one place: Slytherin house.

Severus had grown up being told that Slytherin House was the only place worth giving a hoot about and that the others were for lily livered mollycoddles and overgrown Peter Pan complexes. Severus' father had been in Slytherin and so had his mother and like most Slytherins they thought they a cut above the rest. Severus' father had said to his son time and time again "Son, there are two ways to get into Hogwarts. You can slither in or you can use the Griffin's door." It was a family joke that the Griffin's door led to the toilets. Severus, when he had first heard this, had asked "Well then why aren't there only two houses at Hogwarts and not four?" His parents had answered "Because SOME students don't have the guts to pick either entrance so they go with none of the above." One thing was certain: Severus did NOT want to be in Gryffindor house, Slytherin's main rival. The way his parents talked about it...it was like going to a second hell or something.

Severus picked up the unharmed Puffskein and stroked its fur absentmindedly while watching the rain pour down outside. He only just managed to jerk the Puffskein away as its tongue almost went up his nose, and then he went back to staring out the window. There was very little he could see through the deluge and even if he could see anything there wasn't anything worth seeing. Nothing but the grey, flat, uninteresting moors that Severus lived in with his parents. "I'll be getting out of here soon," he thought eagerly. "I'll be escaping this whole miserable place."

But Severus really thought deep down that he'd be still under a little of his parents' dominating influence at Hogwarts. Just following in their footsteps in Slytherin would be allowing them to exert some control over his life. He didn't really mind, though. The only wizarding children he knew were most likely to be placed in Slytherin House as well. That is, except Antonin, who was going to Durmstrang...

CRACK! Severus whirled around to see a disconsolate figure struggling to stand up after having just plummeted through the fireplace. He sighed and walked over to aid the poor soul in distress, who was cursing in a way that she never would have dared to do around Severus' parents. Severus smiled as he pulled the unfortunate being in question and watched as she dusted herself thoroughly and then turned to face him.

"Haven't improved with the Floo powder, eh Bellatrix?" asked Severus dryly just as she finished dusting herself off. It was, in fact, Bellatrix Black, a close friend of Severus and something of a heartthrob among his friends (despite the fact that none of them had the capacity for heartthrobs yet). She WAS a beauty, with long, black, sleek hair and a face with such dark beauty that it could have belonged to a female panther (without the fur).

"Did you really have to ask that question, Severus? Goddammit, you know I'm useless with the Floo network! Last week I broke Augustus' antique teapot, which just HAPPENED to be simmering on the fire when I arrived! Why does that family have to use a teapot and not a cauldron anyway?" Bellatrix pulled a face. Severus tried not to chuckle. She was referring to a highly amusing (at least to him) incident when, just as he and Augustus Rookwood had been discussing the value of Augustus' tea set, which came from some time around the Norman Conquest, Bellatrix had managed to make her usual ungraceful appearance with the Floo network in such a way that she broke his teapot and scared the lights out of both him and Severus. A simple reparo charm was all that was required to right the distressed teapot, but not Bellatrix's injured pride.

Severus chuckled. "Ok, so I'm stating the obvious. But you can look quite graceful when you're smashing china. As to why they don't use a cauldron, your guess is as good as mine. I always thought only muggles used teapots." He pronounced the word "muggles" with notable disdain. Bellatrix sniffed derisively at their mention.

"Graceful my foot. It was fucking embarrassing!" She snarled. Severus pretended to be shocked.

"Language, language, Bellatrix! My folks are still home," he said, trying to sound afraid. Bellatrix saw through it, of course.

"You and I both know that your folks don't give a damn how either of us talks as long as we don't bother them!" she spat. Severus shrugged his shoulders. She was right, to an extent. His folks could be nice enough when they wanted to but most often they preferred if he and his friends kept to themselves.

"So what are you doing here, anyway? As far as I know my house isn't hosting a beauty pageant," said Severus, with genuine confusion this time. He wondered. What was she doing there? The beauty pageant mention referred to Bellatrix's win of a student's beauty pageant hosted by the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper.

"Well, my son-of-a-Grim cousin and his hag mother had the nerve to show up at our house. Apparently my mum invited them over for tea. But I can't stand him," she said tiredly. Severus laughed at her obvious scorn for her cousin. He'd only met Sirius, her mop-topped cousin once and when Sirius had heard his surname he'd asked "Snape? Like the building?" Git, thought Severus.

"Well, I suppose you didn't want to give me any company on this mother of all dreary days," said Severus, feigning hurt feelings. Bellatrix looked awkward. Yes, thought Severus, I've got her this time.

"Oh, well, ummm...er.....see...ermm....well, that too," she finished lamely. Severus decided not to press charges.

"I don't blame you for wanting to get away from Sirius. I didn't take much of a shine to him myself," said Severus.

"He didn't like you much either," said Bellatrix matter-of-factly, "the git called you a ego-inflated prat once you were gone. I bet you five galleons he's in Gryffindor."

"Puh-lease, even Ludo wouldn't bet against that. If ego-inflated prat's the best he can do, he's getting soft in his old age," Severus said angrily. "Ego inflated prat! That wins the lame insult of the year award!" Bellatrix nodded and then she looked at the Puffskein, which was humming in its cage.

"Oooh!" she moaned as she oggled at the Puffskein. "He's so cute! Just look at how soft that fur is! Oh, hello ickle...AAAH!" she screamed as the Puffskein's tongue came whipping out of its furry insides and slapped her face, searching for her nose. "Ickle Git," she finished in a completely different tone, wiping the Puffskein's tongue residue off her face.

"I owe him one for that. I've been wanting to show that even Beauty queens can get scared for ages. Augustus will have a fit when I tell him!" chuckled Severus. Bellatrix kicked him hard in the shins. Severus, meaning to have some fun, pulled out his father's wand. Bellatrix looked scandalized.

"We're not allowed one of those yet," she hissed, looking at the wand furiously.

"Yeah well I did a deal with the goblin mafia so what are you gonna do?" Severus smirked. "That and it's not actually mine, it's my dad's. I've been using it to practice some curses on a nest of Puffskeins I found under the sink. That little blighter's the last one left," he said, indicating Bellatrix's antagonist, who was humming in a self-satisfied way.

"Curses on puffskeins? Is it just me or do men like to torment harmless little animals?" asked Bellatrix sadly.

"You didn't think he was a harmless little animal when he tried to lick you," observed Severus. Bellatrix growled in her throat, but just as she was about to aim another kick at him....

ZAP! The flames in the fireplace roared and a boy stepped out of the flames without so much as denting the floor. He was obviously more proficient at using Floo powder than Bellatrix, as his robes weren't even singed by the flames, whereas Bellatrix's sported large holes due to the number of times they'd gotten caught on the fire grate. Bellatrix's whole aspect changed.

"Hi, Rodolphus," she said in a simpering voice. Severus rolled his eyes. Bellatrix had her eyes on Rodolphus Lestrange since they were seven. The boy flashed her a smile and as soon as he looked away she fanned herself vigorously. Severus had to fight down a laugh and promptly had to restrain his funny bone again as once again the fire grate roared to life and Rodolphus was knocked over by another traveler who, it seemed, was trying to launch himself through the fire like a martial artist.

"Dolohov!" snarled Rodolphus (the first boy), who was staring up into the face of the new arrival with anger. "Why CAN'T you just come in QUIETLY for godssakes?!"

"Ah, but comrade, I do so enjoy seeing you angry and I simply can't allow Bellatrix to have all the fun. Who knows, a teapot might just have been waiting at this end too!" chuckled the new arrival, who had a slight Russian accent. It was Antonin Dolohov, the only son of the Dolohov family, Severus' parents' best friends. Unlike Bellatrix, Antonin made an effort to cause as much devastation as possible when he traveled by Floo. Also, he was a very experienced user of the Floo network and could enter a house as quietly as he liked but preferred the sound of smashes.

"Consider yourself lucky, Dolohov, that there was NOT a teapot at this end," said Severus in his most dangerous voice, "Or I might have turned your blood to pitch."

"Sev, you don't scare me even if you can kill people with your dad's wand. I know that underneath that second-Grindenwald atmosphere you're just a big softy!" said Antonin good-naturedly, clapping Severus on the back.

Severus gave him a peevish look and pocketed his father's wand. Rodolphus, having dusted himself off, seemed quite willing to forgive Antonin for his dramatic entrance. But Bellatrix, on the other hand, was fuming with rage.

"You could have given poor Rodolphus a concussion!" she snapped at Antonin, "Don't you think about anybody but yourself?"

"Bella, calm down," said Rodolphus, "I'm alright." He added in a low voice to Severus, "And a concussion probably would have made me a bit smarter, my brain needs the shock." Severus smiled and then looked at Antonin, who was looking at the Puffskein with a hungry look.

"Antonin, just what do you think you're doing?" he asked. Antonin looked up.

"Severus, are you using that Puffskein?" he asked. Severus walked over and gently removed the cage.

"Sorry, Dolohov, but I like this Puffskein. You see I spent the whole morning experimenting on his family and I think I'd like it if he were all in one piece," said Severus. Then he whispered in Dolohov's ear, "He scared the hell out of Bellatrix and anything that can do that deserves reverence."

Dolohov looked a bit disappointed but then asked "So what are you gonna name the little blighter?" Severus was surprised. He hadn't thought of a name.

"Hmm...well I could name him Bane of Bellatrix or menace to stuck up beauty qu-" he ducked as a piece of china soared over his head and hit the fireplace. "Reparo! But those are a bit long, so I think I'll just call him Cruciatus Long-Tongue. Crucy for short."

Rodolphus grinned. "Crucy, I like it. Too bad we aren't allowed to have Puffskeins at Hogwarts," he said.

Severus looked at him severely, "You honestly think I'd rather have him than an owl?"

Rodolphus' face showed comprehension. "Oh yeah...."

Antonin suddenly got another look of dawning comprehension and said "Hey, that reminds me! You guys, it looks as though we'll be going to school together after all!"

Severus' mouth fell open. Rodolphus looked shocked. Bellatrix let out a small scream. "How?" Rodolphus gasped. Antonin smiled.

"Well, you know why I was going to go to Durmstrang, right?" he asked.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and put on a deep, Russian voice. "Superior curriculum choices!" she said, and then coughed in a way that sounded very much like Dark Arts! Antonin ignored her.

"Well, one of the teachers at Hogwarts is an old school friend of my dad's and he said he's willing to give me private lessons in the dark arts if I come to Hogwarts!"

Rodolphus' face took some time to go from shock to understanding but when it did, he strode over to Antonin and clapped him on the back. "Welcome aboard then, mate!" he said.

Severus looked envious, though. "Private lessons in the dark arts!" he moaned longingly. "I wish I could!"

Antonin looked at him confusedly. "I don't see why you couldn't, Sev. You probably know most of that stuff anyway, though," he said. He's probably right, thought Severus, But still, private dark arts lessons! "If you like, I can ask my dad," said Antonin.

Severus smiled at him. "That would be great," he said.

Antonin, Rodolphus, Severus and Bellatrix spent the rest of the day searching for small magical creatures to try out curses on. Antonin and Rodolphus were particularly impressed with Severus' use of the scelesti sanguinium curse, applauding him as the rat's anguished squeaks echoed through the hall. Rodolphus mixed a boils and jelly legs curse, which caused the unfortunate gnome victim to sprout long green tentacles on its feet. Eventually Severus had to put the poor creature out of its misery with Avada Kedavra. Only Rodolphus had the stomach to watch as Antonin used the Cruciatus curse on a grasshopper. Bellatrix managed to garner the most amusement, though, when she made a Doxy buzz the British anthem, walk a makeshift string tightrope and waltz with one of Severus' rats all using the Imperius curse. Severus was very sorry indeed to snuff the poor creature.

After that, the four of them found a colony of Jarvies and played a somewhat cruel game which involved racing the Jarvies like horses and the winner was awarded a freshly caught gnome. Bellatrix always turned away when the awarding happened. When they were done with the Jarvey racing, though, the rain had stopped and now the fresh air provided the three of them with only one possible option: Quidditch!

Severus, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Antonin were all Quidditch fans and they all hoped to make the Slytherin Quidditch team at Hogwarts. But only Severus and Bellatrix ever had a shot. Antonin was much too willing to "Rough it up" while acting as Chaser and Rodolphus considered the game badly spent as a Beater if he didn't break at least one nose. Bellatrix, however, had razor sharp eyes which had made her a natural candidate for Seeker and Severus' ability to seem like a bullet even while riding an obsolete broom singled him out as a definite candidate for Chaser. The rivalry between Antonin and Severus was palpable in this regard, for they both wanted to play on the team and knew that the chances were against them both getting on. Because of this, Antonin and Severus were constantly trying to outdo each other. A classic example was when Severus had flown circles around Antonin, all the while intercepting any attempts at passing him the Quaffle. You weren't playing fair! Antonin had snarled at Severus, who had responded We're gonna be in Slytherin, Dolohov, get used to it.

But while Severus and Antonin tried to score goals on Rodolphus and Bellatrix (who, in the process of reducing Quidditch so it could be played with four people, had eliminated Beaters and Seekers), Severus' parents sat in front of the fireplace with Vladimir Dolohov, Antonin's father. In the fireplace was the face of the teacher who would be giving Severus and Antonin private dark arts lessons.

"I just want to express my gratitude for you for teaching our children the darker side of magic privately, Professor Riddle," said Mr. Dolohov silkily, his accent wrapping around his voice like a heavy shroud. The face in the fire was one of an attractive young black haired man of about thirty with green eyes so intense they came with their own laser beams.

"Mr. Dolohov, you can remove the honey from your forked tongue," replied the man in the fire. "I can't say no to school governors if I want to keep my job. And the other boy...what was his name? Septimus? Sandarus?"

"Severus," said Mr. Snape firmly. "It's Severus, Riddle. I'll thank you to remember the names of your students."

Riddle's eyes narrowed but he kept his tone calm. "Right you are, Mr. Snape. With what you're willing to pay me I simply can't resist. I'm sure Severus and Antonin will perform admirably."

"Severus can perform admirably without your help, Riddle. I'm engaging you to teach him when to use what he has learned," Mr. Snape snapped.

"Now, now, Pravus, you can be calm," said Mr. Dolohov, "I'm sure that your boy Severus is exceptionally skilled with childish jinxes but with REAL dark magic..."

"You call Avada Kedavra a childish curse, Vladimir?" said Mr. Snape, pouring irony into every word. Three jaws dropped.

"Your son can perform Avada Kedavra at eleven years of age?" Riddle asked quietly. "Some would say that is less than proper, Mr. Snape."

"It is impossible!" snarled Dolohov's wife, "No child could perform such an advanced curse as Avada Kedavra!"

"I'm afraid they can, when they are taught by an expert," hissed Mr. Snape.

"You are lucky the ministry does not have you down for any offenses, Mr. Snape, for if they discovered that you teach your son unforgivable curses you would probably be spending a very long time in Azkaban," said Riddle quietly.

"Azkaban? Bah! If you knew how easy it is to break out of Azkaban with those softy Aurors they have guarding it..."

"But they've changed the system at Azkaban, Mr. Snape," interrupted Riddle. "They don't use Aurors anymore now, they use...something else."

"Which is?" asked Mr. Snape, with a note of fear in his voice.

"I'm afraid they are much more efficient at keeping the prisoners in prison. You see, Mr. Pravus Snape, the new guards at Azkaban happen to be..." Riddle paused agonizingly and then went on in a whisper, "Dementors."

The color drained from the parents. Mr. Snape was seemingly paralyzed with fear. Dolohov and his wife were clutching each other's hands so tightly they could have broken each other's fingers. Mrs. Snape seemed to be the only one who wasn't reacting too frightenedly, though she had gone the color of ping-pong balls.

"So, gentlemen," said Riddle, "With the added risk of going to an Azkaban which is impossible to break out of, I am afraid I will have to ask a higher price of both of you for my teaching services."

"How much?" asked Dolohov, cutting the enraged Snape off.

"Ten Galleons per lesson," said Riddle, an unpleasant grin flecking his face.

"TEN GALLEONS PER LESSON?!" roared Mr. Snape in outrage.

"Silence, Pravus. We can afford it," said Mrs. Snape in a hushed voice to her husband. Mr. Snape looked ready to explode.

"So do I have your consent then, gentlemen?" asked Riddle.

Mr. Dolohov and Mr. Snape nodded disgruntledly and Riddle, having said "Good day" to both of them, vanished from the fireplace with a little pop!

Meanwhile, out on the field where Severus, Antonin, Rodolphus and Bellatrix were practicing, a particularly nasty string of curses (not in the wizarding sense) had erupted. Antonin was busy screaming horrible words at Severus, who had so far put four Quaffles past Bellatrix, who was also cursing at him. Rodolphus was sitting, practically abandoned, near his goal posts and laughing as Severus time and again stole the Quaffle from Antonin and flew circles around a bewildered Bellatrix. Still, Antonin and Bellatrix hung on doggedly.

"Tired of having your asses whipped yet?" shouted Severus at the two, who redoubled their efforts to shout the nastiest swear words at him. I will NOT repeat them. Severus seized the Quaffle out of the air almost the instant Bellatrix threw it out onto the pitch and executed a series of feints which left Bellatrix confused and Severus and Rodolphus another ten points ahead.

"You miserable old bat!" shouted Bellatrix when she had recovered her wits (and when Severus had successfully scored seven more goals, making him and Rodolphus the clear-cut winner). Rodolphus was doubled up with laughter on his broom.

Antonin pulled his wand from his robes and shouted "Accio broom!" Rodolphus' mount flew towards him with Rodolphus on top of it. When the flight was over, Rodolphus was coughing up a large breakfast of soil which he had received courtesty of Antonin's summoning of his broom.

"What's the idea, Ant?" he spat at Antonin, having finished spitting the last soil out.

"The idea is to shut you up," growled Antonin, looking at Rodolphus dangerously and pointing his wand in the same direction.

"Hey, calm down Antonin!" Severus protested. Antonin looked at him with fury blazing in his eyes.

"Oh sure, just CALM DOWN! Never mind that you get your ass whipped by a gibbering monkey and a kid with half the grease of the world on his head!" he snarled, keeping his wand pointed at Rodolphus. "Let's see you laugh at this then, you submental prat! Scelesti sangui-"

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Bellatrix, seizing Severus' wand just as Antonin was about to put the blood to pitch curse on Rodolphus. She then launched herself at Antonin and began beating him senseless. "Don't--you--dare---to---put---that---kind---of---curse---on----poor---Rodolphus!" she shrieked at Antonin between punches. When she'd finished, Severus considered putting a reparo charm on Antonin's bloody face, but decided it would be a good idea not to erase Bellatrix's handiwork just yet.

Antonin seemed to have calmed down, but he still looked angry. "FINE!" he growled. "FINE! Defend your precious Rodolphus, Bellatrix I'm-a-tart Black! I've had it with you three losers! I wish I WERE going to Durmstrang!" And with that he stomped off.

Severus looked after him in surprise. What kind of pent-up anger had Antonin been harboring? "I'm going to talk to him," he said.

"You must be mad," said Bellatrix. "He's gone loony on us."

"Barking mad," agreed Rodolphus. Severus wasn't listening. He followed the angry Antonin, determined to calm him down.

When Severus found Antonin, he thought that maybe Antonin should have been left alone. He was sitting on a fallen log sobbing into his hands. Severus decided to listen just in case he caught something on why Antonin was so upset.

He was not disappointed. Antonin had just choked out "What'll my dad say? His little Jon Wronski can't even get the Quaffle off of Severus Snape! He'll kill me! He'll chop me up and use me for firewood! DADDY, I'M SORRY!" It dawned on Severus. Antonin's father had been a star chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch team while at Hogwarts and considered his son to be the living, breathing embodiment of his stardom. To have to admit to his father, let alone himself that he was no good would be horrible for Antonin. Severus walked over to sit beside Antonin.

"Get out of here, Snape," snarled Antonin.

"Nice greeting, Ant. By the way, I wouldn't worry about how you play. Let's face it, I was using an unfair tactic," he had to admit this, even to himself, "You were playing as best you could with me breathing down your neck. As a matter of fact you probably would have performed admirably if I hadn't been such a prat."

Antonin looked up in surprise. "You don't have to suck up to me, Snape," he growled, though he did sound somewhat placated.

Severus persisted. "Come on Ant, come on back and join us. I'll tell you what, I won't fly circles around you this time and we'll see which side wins."

Antonin brightened up. "Alright," he said, "But I get Rodolphus."

Severus smiled. "Deal." He said.

The following match was much more hard fought. Severus kept his promise and didn't fly circles around Antonin, who showed his prowess at Chasing by executing daring feints and twists which left his team three goals up. Severus wasn't letting him win, though. He had managed to steal the Quaffle fairly four times already, and with Severus that meant that they were four goals up. The score: 40-30.

Bellatrix began to pick up on Keeping in the meantime, saving more goals from Antonin, who found he now had to work for them. All the same, with Severus bugging off, Antonin had managed to gain a twenty point lead on Severus and Bellatrix.

Finally, exhausted by their efforts but quite happy, Severus, Bellatrix, Antonin and Rodolphus trudged back up to the house. It had been a hard-fought game and even though Antonin came quite close to beating them on numerous occasions, Severus had saved the day by putting the finishing goal in and beating Antonin by a mere ten points. But, with his confidence restored, Antonin now seemed much more relaxed...until they ran into his father.

Vladimir Dolohov had been watching his son play Quidditch with the three others and was quite disappointed in what he saw. His son had been beaten by the child of the Snapes! That was not something he was willing to accept. When he and his wife met the children, he stared down at his son with an expression of cold exspectancy.

"Hi, Dad," said Antonin as brightly as he could under the harsh gaze of his father.

"Antonin, I was watching that game. Do you think I accept that performance?" Vladimir whispered ominously.

"Dad, I did the best I could," said Antonin half-heartedly, his father's gaze was now much more fiery.

"And your best is not good enough, son! I want you to be a star! You must cheat if you have to, but all that matters is winning! If I do not see improvement by the time the first game of the year is played at Hogwarts I will never see you again!" spat Mr. Dolohov, and with that he stalked off, leaving Antonin pale faced.

"Help me!" he whispered in a strangled voice to Severus. Severus understood now why Antonin had been crying. "Don't worry," he whispered back, "I'll show you how to get better."

But Antonin's father was fuming as he walked away. How dare his son not live up to his prowess? There was no way that the boy was not skilled enough, he thought. So why did he allow himself to be beaten by that Snape child? Mr. Dolohov had nothing against Severus Snape, as a matter of fact he quite liked the boy. But if he was better than his son than something had to be done. Don't you worry, son, he thought. I'll see to it that Snape doesn't steal your birthright if it's the last thing I do.

A few hours later, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Antonin all bid their goodbyes. Bellatrix took the Floo powder and held it at arm's length before shouting "Black Mansion!" and vanishing. Severus half expected to hear the tinkle of breaking China. Rodolphus, on the other hand, walked quite relaxedly into the fireplace and, after shouting "Villa de la Lestrange!" vanished without a trace. Antonin entered the fireplace in a karate stance, sent a cloud of Floo powder up around him, and shouted quite clearly "Dolohov Hall!"

Severus lapsed in his chair and went back to his book, but then he heard an owl tapping on the window and hurried to open it. His heart fluttered as he realized it was Elektra, the owl that belonged to the Evans family. Severus had secretly been friends with Lily Evans, a muggle-born whom he had met while on a vacation in Surrey, for the past few months and now they were quite affectionate pen pals. He pulled the note off the owl's leg, opened the window for the owl to fly out and tore open the letter.

My dear Severus,

How are you? I imagine it must be quite a mess up there, considering that over here it's pouring rain and I know you live in the wettest part of the country. I'd visit but I know your parents aren't exactly friendly with people like me and it would be quite difficult for me to get all the way up there without taking the train. But listen, you won't believe this! I just got this letter from a school which says it actually teaches WIZARDS! Is this some kind of practical joke from you? I don't know what else it could be, so write me back as soon as possible. I don't know how this owl is supposed to find you in this weather or whether it can even carry letters but my dad seems to think it will work.

Yours,

Lily Evans

Severus grinned. He knew full well that the letter Lily had received was no joke, but a genuine acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd known from the start that Lily was a witch, as he'd witnessed the levitation of a large candle out of its holder when she was showing him her dining room. Severus was happy for Lily, but also worried. What house would she be in? For some reason she didn't seem quite the same as Bellatrix, Antonin, Rodolphus or Augustus at all. There was something different about her: A self-confidence, a steely courage and an extreme sense of loyalty.

Severus didn't know, of course, that Lily was bound to enter Hogwarts through the Griffin's door and that it led to any place but the toilets.