literature

Always... Book 1 Chapter 3

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"Headmaster," Snape matched his stride to that of Dumbledore. "Might I ask a question?"

They were on their way to the Great Hall for the start of the year feast.

"You have already asked one." He chuckled. "But, you may ask another."

"Where is the final protection for the stone?"

"It shall be revealed in time." He replied.

"Yes, sir." Snape dropped the subject. "There is something else that… well, makes me uneasy." He confessed.

"What would that be, Severus?" Dumbledore looked at him, the same quizzical look on his face that he had worn earlier.

"First, why bother with all of the enchantments if there is a back door to the chamber where the stone is hidden?"

"Ah." Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "That doorway can only be opened by the headmaster. I'm not really sure why. It is one of Hogwarts' many secrets, I suppose."

"Also," Snape took a deep breath. "I must bring some suspicious behaviour to light. Professor Quirrell was acting very odd down in the chambers." He glanced at Dumbledore, pausing a moment for a response. When the headmaster offered none, he continued. "He seemed almost too interested in the protective enchantments put in place to protect the stone."

"Are you sure you are not reading too much into his curiosity?" Dumbledore asked. Snape opened his mouth to say something. "I do not distrust you, Severus." He came to a halt at the top of the Grand Staircase and turned to face the Potions Master. "Do not become blinded by your ambitions towards his position."

"Of course, Headmaster." Snape replied.

"I have my reasons for choosing Quirinus." Dumbledore stated. "However, it might be wise to keep an eye on him." He looked at Snape over the rims of his spectacles. "Discreetly."

Snape bowed his head, and Dumbledore descended the staircase and disappeared into the Great Hall.

A moment later, Snape followed him.

Snape had just taken his seat next to Professor Quirrell when the older students began to file in. The hall buzzed with young, excited voices.

A few minutes later, McGonagall walked into the hall, leading a group of rather frightened looking first years. The first person he recognized was a young boy with platinum blond hair.

The Malfoy boy. He thought to himself. He remembered Lucius telling him that the boy would be beginning school this year.

McGonagall lined the students along the staff table, and retrieved the Sorting Hat and stool. Snape thought he could see sweat running down the neck of one round-faced boy standing towards his end of the line.

"Evans, Lily." The little red-headed girl next him gave his hand a squeeze, and then bounded up to sit on the stool. She placed the hat on her head, and a moment later it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

She jumped off the stool, and smiled as she ran over to the Gryffindor table, which was cheering loudly. She caught Snape's eye, and beamed encouragement at him. She took a seat next to a boy with shaggy black hair.

A few more names were called.

"Potter, James." This boy had untidy black hair and wore round, wire-rimmed glasses. The hat had barely touched his head when it too shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" He grinned, and sat beside Lily at the Gryffindor table.

"Hi, I'm James."

"I'm Lily." He heard them introduce themselves.

At that moment, he wished he would get placed in Gryffindor.

"Snape, Severus."

He walked up to the stool and sat down, then he placed the hat gingerly on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" It shouted immediately.

He joined the table of silver and green. He was excited to be in Slytherin, like his ancestors before him, but why couldn't Lily be in Slytherin too?


"Potter, Harry." Snape was jerked out of his reverie by McGonagall's sharp voice calling out that oh-so-familiar name. He heard whispering around the hall, and saw a small, skinny boy with untidy jet-black hair and wire-rimmed glasses step forward and take his place on the stool. The hat was placed on his head, and dropped over his eyes. A full minute passed. The hat seemed to be having difficulty placing him.

"GRYFFINDOR!" It finally shouted. The Gryffindor table let out the loudest cheer yet.

Snape let out a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. Of course he would be sorted into Gryffindor. Why wouldn't he be? Both of his parents had been in that house. Still, what a thorn in the side it would have been to James if his son had been in Slytherin.

The rest of the sorting passed rather quickly.

Albus Dumbledore stood, beaming at the students, holding his arms open wide. "Welcome!" He began. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down, and the room broke into applause.

The plates before them filled with food, and the feast began.

Snape had barely begun to reach for some potatoes when Professor Quirrell engaged him in conversation.

"Why a troll?" Snape asked him after they had exhausted the topic of potions.

"Oh, w-well, you s-see," Quirrell stammered. "I have a g-g-gift with t-trolls. N-never been a f-f-fan of v-vampires." He shuddered

"Oh really?" Snape asked. "And why is that?"

Quirrell began babbling about a vampire he had encountered in Romania, and so he stuffed his turban with garlic to ward it off. Then, that led him to speak of how he had received the turban as a gift from some African prince for getting rid of a zombie.

For a stutterer, he sure can go on and on. Snape thought to himself.

He suddenly felt a pair of familiar eyes on him. He shifted his gaze slightly from Quirrell's face to the right, and he met the eyes of Harry Potter. He felt like his heart had stopped. He really did have Lily's eyes. He saw the boy mouth something, and then clap his hand to his forehead. Snape looked away.

It was an abomination! The eyes of his Lily looking out of the face of James Potter! Snape had no idea how he was going to survive the next seven years when the living proof of her preference for another man would stare up at him in class every week.

The Headmaster caught his eye, and Snape nodded almost imperceptibly.

"No one can know."
Chapter 3!

I think that this may have been my favorite chapter to write so far. Adding in the memory of Lily getting sorted was kind of a last minute decision, but I am glad that I made it.

Cover Art by: :iconmelissaannselby:

Chapter 4: [link]
© 2011 - 2024 Neverfallforfun
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Katie-xox's avatar
You write Snape perfectly, like you write Snape like J. K. Rowling, which, personally, I think is hard to do :D