Finally, it was September the 1st. Uncle had taught me a few spells to get started, such as Wingardium Leviosa and one of his own invention, Levicorpus. When we got to King's Cross Station, Uncle told me to get on the 11:00 train on Platform 93⁄4. This was one of the few things I hadn't done before in the Wizarding World. I decided to wait by the barrier. I leaned against it and fell right through. I gasped in shock and went back through the barrier to get my trolley. As I walked back through I noticed a red haired witch with three boys. I heard her say, "Bill, why don't you go through first." I stepped aside to let him through, but he noticed me anyway.
"Who are you? Are you a Witch?" he asked kindly.
"I'm Scarlet Lily P­Snape, and I am a first­year Witch," I answered. I felt bad lying to Bill. He was so nice. But Uncle had always told me that I must introduce myself as a Snape.
"Oh. I'm Bill, and I am a sixth­year Wizard." he said, then walked through the barrier. I followed him.
"That's my brother, Charlie," he said, nodding at the boy who had just walked through the barrier.
"He's in his fourth year." As if on cue, Charlie walked up to me and shook my hand. "That," he said, "is Percy. He's in his second year." Percy shook my hand.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said pompously.
"We'd better get going, Mum'll have a fit if we miss the train," Bill said. He turned
around and walked towards the Hogwarts Express. I followed with my trolley. I picked up Storm and my trunk and climbed on the train. I was walking around the train for a while before I found an empty compartment. The sweets trolley had already gone by before anyone came to sit with me. I had bought a few chocolate frogs (I collect the cards) and a couple of pumpkin pasties. I was almost halfway through them before a girl came to sit with me. She looked really nice so invited her to sit with me.
"I'm Alice Keddle," she said shyly.
"I'm Scarlet, Scarlet Snape," I said. "What House do you want to be in?"
"I'm hoping to be in Gryffindor," she said. "What House do you want to be want to be
in?" I didn't know where I wanted to be placed. I thought I wanted to be put in Slytherin, because Uncle would be proud."I want to be in Slytherin," I answered confidently. She looked surprised.
"And I thought you weren't bad," she said.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" I asked, confused. Uncle always spoke so highly of it. "Every Dark Wizard ever was in it," she whispered. "It's rumored You­Know­Who was
in Slytherin himself."
"Oh," I said, feeling put out. Uncle wasn't evil, was he? I let the conversation drift to our
families.
"So you said your last name was Snape," she said.
"Yeah." This had always been an uncomfortable topic for me.
"My sister, Kira, told me he was really unfair and mean. Is it true?"
"No. Uncle's just been sort of emotionless since Mum died." I clapped my hands over my
mouth once I realized what I'd said.
"If he's your uncle, then who's your mum?"
I answered slowly, with a growing sense of dread, "He's not really my uncle. He's my
godfather. My mum died on Halloween seven years ago. Her name was Lily Potter. My father was James Potter and my brother was­­"
"Is Harry Potter," she finished for me. I was shocked. How could she know that? And why did she say "is"?
"You mean WAS," I corrected. She shook her head and sighed.
"Your brother is still alive. The curse rebounded, killing You­Know­Who." I just stared a t h e r , m u l l i n g i t o v e r . U n c l e h a d n e v e r s​a i d ​H a r r y h a d d i e d . I d e c i d e d t h a t I b e l i e v e d h e r .
"Where is he?" I demanded.
"No one knows," she answered. "It's for his own safety. He's so famous he'd never get a break if the press knew."
"Please don't tell anyone, Uncle will have my head," I begged. She nodded.
"My parents were murdered when I was three by the Death Eaters. I've been raised by my grandparents and my sisters, Kira and Liyla. But we'd better get changed now," she said.
"I'm sorry." I said sadly. We got changed and soon enough, we were at Hogwarts. An overly large man was yelling, "Firs' years, this way, onto the boats, firs' years!" I felt a pat on my shoulder and saw Bill smiling down on me.
"Good luck. I hope you're in Gryffindor with us." I beamed. Two friends on the first day! The large man (Alice helpfully informed me that his name was Hagrid) led us onto some boats. Boats, I ask you, on a freezing lake, on a freezing day! Are they trying to murder us? Once we got inside, everyone looked pretty nervous. A stern­looking lady told us to get in line for the Sorting.
"I am Professor McGonagall. There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Each has its own qualities. While you stay here, your House will be like your family. You can gain points for your triumphs, and lose them for rule breaking. Please followme." Alice gripped my hand tightly. I heard the Sorting Hat sing some sort of song, but I didn't hear it for nervousness. I heard Professor McGonagall call out
"Abercrombie, Sydney!" A shaking girl walked up to the stool. The Hat was put on her head and after a few seconds shouted
"RAVENCLAW!"
Finally Professor McGonagall call out "Keddle, Alice!" Before the hat touched her head it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" I smiled and clapped. I was called after a Hufflepuff named "Pitt, Aaron."
"Pot­­" Snape shot McGonagall a death glare. "Snape, Scarlet!" The Sorting Hat was placed on my head and I heard a little voice saying "​Hmm... you're a hard one. Very smart, yes, very smart, but amazingly loyal. You would do well in Hufflepuff."
"Please Slytherin, please Slytherin," I​thought.
"Oh no, Slytherin is NOT an option for you, dear. Very brave, loads of bravery. But the loyalty. Where to put you, dear. It better be... G​RYFFINDOR!" I looked over at Uncle, and seeing he didn't look t​oo disappointed, I skipped over to my new table. I was welcomed warmly by Bill and Alice. Dumbledore stood up and announced that "The Forbidden Forest is off­limits" and that "Drooble's Best Blowing Bubble Gum and Fizzing Whizbees are now the 442nd and 443rd items on Filch's off­limits list." Then he clapped his hands and the golden platters were filled with mountains of succulent food. I took a chicken drumstick and started tentatively nibbling on it. Upon finishing the drumstick, I looked around. Alice was spooning some soup into her mouth, very ladylike, and the girl girl next to me with bubblegum pink hair was chowing down on who­knows­what. She caught me looking and said, "Hi, I'm Tonks.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Scarlet."
"What's your surname?"
"Uh," I said. I felt like I could trust Tonks, but Uncle was watching my every move. "It's
Snape."
"Like Professor Snape?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, feeling exasperated. I felt like I'd already had this conversation twenty
times.
"Let me guess, you don't want to talk about it," she said. "Okay, I have something cool.
I'm a Metamorphmagus!"
"Omigosh. That's so cool. I've been working on the Animagus potion for three years, and
it's almost complete. All I have to do is sneak into Uncle's study and cast the Patronus Charm on it, then it'll be ready."
"That's so cool!" she said, just as Bill said, "First years, right this way please, first years!" We made our way to the common room. Bill reached a portrait of a plump lady in a pink gown.
"Password?" she said."Phoenix flame," Bill said. She swung open, but not before she noticed me.
"Lily, is that you?" she screeched.
"I'm Scarlet," I said.
"Oh, you must be her daughter. Ah, Lily was such a nice girl. Shame she died." I didn't
deny it, but I didn't approve it either. I just pushed my way through. At least only Tonks and Alice were there, but Tonks looked upset. She pushed past me and walked into the girl's dorms.
I ran after her calling, "Tonks! Tonks!" all the way.
"What do you want?" she asked me.
"To apologize. Snape is my godfather, and when my parents died, he took me in and I've
been his ward ever since. I wanted to tell you earlier, but he was watching. He's ashamed to show the good side of himself, the side that would take in his arch enemy's daughter." I said, all in one breath.
"Yes, he has quite a reputation here at Hogwarts," Tonks said.
"Would you like to become an Animagus with Alice and I?" I asked. Her hair turned a sad shade of blue. "I can't. I'm already a Metamorphmagus, I can't become an Animagus."
"Oh." I said, feeling blue myself.
"But I can change into an animal, but it takes a while. I have to change all my body parts." "Wicked!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I knew Madam Pince always kept the library window open, from years of experience, so for a bit of reading, I Summoned some spell books from the library. At long last, I mastered the Patronus Charm. I learned the flower charm, O​rchideous,​and made a pretty wreath for my hair. But my favorite charm was the Disillusionment Charm. I woke Alice, told her what we were about to do then tapped our heads and felt cold spread through me. We then snuck out the portrait hole and into Uncle's dungeons. I found the potion where I had left it, in the magically expanded bathtub. I produced two flasks from my pocket and dipped them in the swirling,
bubbling potion.
"W​ingardium Leviosa!" I said. Uncle had taught me that one. The flasks floated in the air, and I told Alice to try to cast the Patronus Charm.
"Like this," I said. "E​xpecto Patronum!"​My Patronus looked at Alice.
"E​xpecto Patronum!"​she said. Nothing happened. She tried again, but to no avail.
"Find your happiest memory, then try."
"Why do we need to do this?" she whined.
"Quiet, you'll wake up Uncle. Your Patronus will be your Animagus form."
"E​xpecto Patronum!"​Her Patronus soared around the room, then faded away.
Now cast it on your vial, like this. I showed her, and my vial turned a flaming red. She
cast it then her vial turned completely white.
"Drink on three, then imagine yourself changing into an animal. One, two, three!"I felt myself changing, and I looked down, knowing what I'd see. Alice was a red­ eyed rabbit, and I was a phoenix.