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Chapter Text

Kings Crossing Station was busy. It was so busy that Alyssa pressed closer to her dad, Severus Snape. He wore his usual dark clothes while Alyssa wore her new school robes. She had been so excited when they got back to Hogwarts with her new robes that she instantly put them on, did a spin, and tore them. Luckily there was a mending spell for that and they looked brand new as she walked towards platform 9 ¾.

As they passed through the wall her eyes grew wide. She had seen portraits of the train but she never expected it to be so grand. She had begged her father to let her ride it instead of joining the rest of the students at the lake side. She didn’t want any special treatment even though she was the child of a professor.

“Alyssa,” Severus said, not bothering to look down at her. He was staring ahead looking at the children on the platform. Some of them recognized him and they were speaking quietly to one another.

“Yes?” Alyssa asked, noticing some of the students she had seen before. During the summer she lived at Spinner’s End with her father in their family home, yet during the school year she stayed at Hogwarts. Severus was very protective of her and Dumbledore had agreed that it was best she stayed there during the school year as well.

Before he could reply a man with a sharp face and long blonde hair strode over to them. Behind him, obediently following, was a small blonde boy with his hair slicked back. His face was blank but when they stopped and his father started speaking to hers he eyed her.

It was clear he was sizing her up with his grey blue eyes that looked like her favorite gobstone. Her dad had given her the ones from his mothers set when she got to be eight. She had spent hours practicing and was becoming nose blind to the scents the stones gave off.

“Alyssa,” Her father said, tone soft yet serious. “This is Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco. He is your age.” He explained. Alyssa had heard that tone a few times, and knew it was one of warning.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Alyssa said, smiling at Draco and his father. The older man was looking at her like she was made of diamonds. He pushed his son over to her with his snake headed cane.

“Alyssa, Draco, the two of you should sit together on the train,” He said. There was something smooth about his voice, the way he spoke like oil slipping through someone’s fingers. It sent a chill down her spine, but she knew that the rest of her life would be full of people who sent chills down her spine.

“Father,” Draco muttered, his voice pitching up in a whine. It was clear he already had better plans. But, Alyssa wasn’t going to rock any boats, not on her first day.

“I’d love to,” She said, quickly. She flashed one of those award winning smiles that had Pomona giving her extra Shrivelfigs to snack on. Of course she shared them with her dad since he loved them, but she also ate them in secret. They were one of her favorite treats.

“Wonderful,” Lucius said, using his cane to guide her away from her dad. He didn’t move to follow, and, as she looked back over her shoulder, all he did was wave. She was now on her own embarking on the first steps to her new journey.

Soon she found herself in a train car with Draco and two rather ugly, brutish looking boys named Crabbe and Goyle. They were Draco’s childhood best friends. It made Alyssa feel sad that she didn’t have any childhood best friends but, she also had to remember that she was lucky to have such a good childhood.

“I hear Harry Potter is in our year,” Draco said. He was lording over a stack of treats he had bought from the trolley. Crabbe and Goyle were stuffing their already bloated faces with the treats while Alyssa ate her single pumpkin pastie.

“Who’s that?” Crabbe asked, mouth full of a cauldron cake. He must have been raised in a broom closet with the lack of manners he had.

“Harry Potter is the child who thwarted he who must not be named,” Draco said, rolling his eyes. “My dad said it was just pure dumb luck. He’s nothing special but everyone is going to treat him like he is,” Draco added.

“No one should be treated special,” Alyssa said. Her voice was quiet but it cut through the room like a knife. The three boys turned to look at her like three lethifold’s. Each of them leaned in to see what she had to say. They wanted to make sure that she said the right thing and Alyssa knew that, but she didn’t know the right thing to say.

“People should be judged on their merits, not their reputation. Someone can have a bad reputation because they are quiet and shy but they can be the kindest person you know,” She said, and that was not the right thing.

“It shouldn’t matter the merit of the person. If they aren't a pure blood they aren’t worth wasting time on. In fact, all the mudblood children should be taught at a different school or not at all.” Draco said.

“Blood status doesn’t matter,” Alyssa said, quickly. She felt her blood boil on her chest anytime someone talked about blood status. It was wrong, and anyone who believed in that was wrong.

“Severus never had a wife so what is your blood status?” Draco asked. “You’re clearly some orphan he took pity on and raised,” He added, as if it would sting her in the chest. As if he could take away the fact that Severus was her father. Well, he couldn’t.

“I’m a pure blood. And no, you can’t know my family name. I was adopted by my father so I am a Snape.” She said, her voice firm. She wasn’t going to yield her point.

“Then you should be rooting for the purity,” Draco said.

“No, I should be using my status to push for more people to have access to the wizarding world,” Alyssa snapped. Her voice was sharp like jagged glass and she stood up. She looked at all three of the boys then opened the door.

“I’m going to find somewhere else to sit,” She said. For a second she stood there looking at them and the stupid smirks they wore on their faces. She glanced at the pile of snacks and grabbed the crystallized pineapples before exiting.

“Hey!” Goyle called, but Draco shut the door behind her leaving Alyssa alone in the corridor. As she looked left and right she saw a girl with bushy hair standing in a doorway.

“Since there’s only two of you-“ Alyssa heard her say before she vanished. Alyssa’s heart jumped and she rushed towards the door she saw the other girl vanish into. With a breath she slowly opened it and came face to face with the boy she had just heard Draco taking about.

Her dad hadn’t talked about the boy who lived much. He said that he was the son of his friend Lily who had died protecting Harry. He left most of the details at that but over the years she learned that he was dark haired, wore glasses, and had a lightning bolt scar.

“Hi uh, can I sit here? I have pineapple. I mean you do too but…” She trailed off. The other three were staring at her, but that only lasted for a moment.

“Come in,” The girl said, grabbing Alyssa’s hand and pulling her down next to her.

“I’m Hermione Granger, and this is Ron and Harry,” She explained, pointing to the boys. “Are you excited to be going to Hogwarts?” Hermione asked Alyssa.

“Well it’s exciting to be going home,” Alyssa said.

“Oh, are you not a first year?” Hermione asked. She looked at Alyssa and saw her robes weren’t house specific.

“Not exactly,” She said. “My dad is a professor and I spend the school year there. So, it’s basically a second home to me.”

“That makes perfect sense,” Hermione said.

“Who’s your dad?” Ron asked, looking Alyssa over. She could tell he had some thoughts of who it was and she was about to disappoint him with the answer.

“Professor Severus Snape is my father,” She said, smiling. The look on Ron’s face said everything she needed to know. It wasn’t impossible for her to figure out who his family was. He looked just like all his brothers but it’s seemed he was a middle ground between Percy and the twins.

“Oh,” Ron said. Harry and Hermione looked between the two of them and before Harry could speak Hermione jumped in.

“Probably best we make our own assumptions.” She said, with a large smile. Alyssa smiled back, it was easy to be around this girl. Though, she could tell from her overall attitude she would most likely be a Ravenclaw. Ron would be in Gryffindor and Harry well she didn’t know him. She wanted to, badly, but the morbid curiosity was not good for her.

Before a new conversation could come up, the train slowed to a halt. An excited buzz rushed through the train as if it had been struck with lightning. Alyssa could feel it all the way down into her toes.

It didn’t matter how often she had been to Hogwarts she got excited just to be there. As they exited the first years were greeted by the sight of a large, broad shouldered man with wild wiry hair that flew around his face in the breeze.

“Hagrid!” Hardy greeted. Alyssa looked at him, wondering how he had met the grounds keeper. But, she didn’t have time to ask as they were now moving like a herd of cows towards the boats.

Each boat moved on its own, across the black lake towards Hogwarts. Alyssa could hear gaps echoing around her as the sprawling castle, a mass of turrets and towers against the twilight sky, materialized before them.

To Alyssa it was a place of magic, whispered secrets, and endless wonder. She was excited to share the secrets she knew with the other students in her house. She knew exactly where she would be put but that didn’t mean she wasn’t excited to have the sorting hat placed upon her head.

As the first years reached land they were ushered up the main staircase and around a corner where they were met by a closed door. Alyssa knew that behind that door was the Great Hall. It was still decorated in blue and bronze from last year when Ravenclaw won the house cup. It was gorgeous and the scent of dinner was already escaping the doors.

“So it’s true,” Alyssa heard Draco say. He pushed his way threw the crowd and stood in front of her, Ron, Hermione and Harry. His grey blue eyes locked on Harry’s green ones and he smirked.

“Harry Potter has finally come to Hogwarts. I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” He said, extending his hand. Crabbe and Goyle who flanked him as two incompetent bodyguards got no introduction.

“Shove off Malfoy,” Alyssa muttered.

“Sorry but was I talking to you? Blood traitor.” He spat. Alyssa looked at him and before she knew what was happening her body was moving. She stood in front of Draco, a breath apart to be exact. She looked at him with eyes so dark and full of anger it was a wonder worn clouds didn’t burst from her ears.

“Miss Snape,” Came a cold yet firm voice. Alyssa looked up to see Professor McGonagall. She had a tight angular face that was framed by a tight bun of dark black hair. She gave Alyssa the we will talk about this later look and she stepped back to stand next to the trio.

“Now in a moment you will be stepping through these doors. You will then be called up, one at a time, to be sorted into your houses. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” She said, observing the students. Instantly they started whispering to one another.

“I think I’m going to be in Ravenclaw,” Hermione said softly. It was clear to Alyssa that was a secret just for her. So, she looked at Hermione and nodded. She hoped that Hermione got her wish because there was no other person Alyssa could think of who embodied the spirit of Ravenclaw the way Hermione did.

Slowly the whispering stopped and McGonagall turned walking into the room with them. Alyssa felt everyone’s eyes on them as they walked. She looked up at the teacher table and smiled seeing her dad there. Just knowing he was watching made her excited.

McGonagall took her place as the crumpled black hat started to come to life. The rest of the first years around her gasped and Hermione pitched forward on her toes to get a better look.

“Before the feasts and friendships, the spells and the studies, lies the crucial task of placing you where you truly belong. For within each of you, a spark resides, a hidden potential waiting to be kindled. Some possess a bravery that burns like dragonfire, others a loyalty as steadfast as the ancient stones of this castle. Some carry a wisdom that echoes through the ages, and others a cunning that weaves through shadows. Fear not the unknown, for the choice is yours, even as it is mine. Let us begin!”

McGonagall didn’t miss a beat. She quickly started to call names. Hermione was the first of them to go up and for a second the hat sat there. It didn't say anything at all and just sat there with an amused smirk. He was thinking very carefully and Alyssa could see it. Hat stalls weren’t common, but as she was thinking about this the hat made his decision.

“Gryffindor!” He roared, sending a wave of cheers through the hall. Alyssa had gotten it wrong? Suddenly her entire view of the world spun on its head. If she wasn’t a Ravenclaw then maybe Alyssa wouldn’t be put in Slytherin. Was this hope she was feeling? Was this a hope that she hadn’t felt since she was a child?

“Draco Malfoy,” McGonagall called. He sauntered up to the stool drawing everyone’s eyes to him. He carried himself with an air of pride and knowing. This was his destiny to stroll up to the hat, have it sat on his head, and be sorted.

“Slytherin,” The hat spat, like the word itself was poison. The cheers that went up from the Slytherin table were deep and guttural almost like a growl. It was a show of their strength and ferocity.

Draco made his way over to the long table and Alyssa could see Marcus Flint, captain of their quidditch team, give a wide toothy grin. His teeth were disgusting and Alyssa knew that if he could he would ruin everyone’s life just to get on top. He embodied all the aspects that gave Slytherin a bad rapt.

Once Draco was seated Alyssa could see Harry’s fist clench and his jaw was set. He was muttering something that she couldn’t hear. Carefully, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay.” She said, “You’ll be okay. The hat won’t put you where you don’t belong.” She explained. Harry looked at her and repeated the phrase so this time she could hear him.

“No Slytherin.” Alyssa felt her heart drop. Harry was going to never be her friend because she was destined to be in Slytherin and she knew that. She went to explain, and tell him not everyone in Slytherin was as bad as Marcus and Draco, but it was too late.

“Harry Potter.” A hush fell over the entire room, and Alyssa saw everyone lean in. Whatever house Harry was sorted into would be the one to watch. Alyssa could feel that he was destined for greatness. After all, he had been the one to defeat her father as an infant. What power would he hold when he was a fully trained wizard?

“Gryffindor!” The house shouted. A roar of joy erupted from the other side of the room. It was so loud it shook the inside of Alyssa’s bones. Her eyes glanced up to her dad and she could see he was frowning. Had he expected Harry to end up in Slytherin?

“Alyssa Snape,” McGonagall said. There was a small hint of pride in her voice. She knew that she wasn’t going to have Alyssa in her house but she was still so proud of her. McGonagall had been the first person Alyssa told about the Salazar wand. It would have been her dad but McGonagall had been the one to find her coming out of Salazar’s hidden study.

Ever since then McGonagall has been teaching her a few, harmless, spells. Lumos and Nox were the two she had taught her and they had come in very handy in the last year. She mainly used them to read at night before bed but there were other times they came in handy.

Alyssa sat down on the chair and felt the hat land on her head. She didn’t know what to expect next but it wasn’t the sound of a chuckle. A warm and happy one at that. She thought for sure it would be a repeat of Draco, but it wasn’t.

“It’s clear to see your heart is pure. You want to do right by the world and you will. But, you can’t do that if you're not where you belong.” The hat said to her before yelling out Slytherin. But this time, the word wasn’t poison, it was full of pride and joy.

Alyssa took her seat next to a dark haired boy with an angular face. He pat her on the back, smiling a charming smile and introduced himself as Lucian Bole. She smiled back, though she felt sad. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all seated at the Gryffindor table surrounded by smiling faces and a sea of red hair.

She knew this was where she belonged, being the heir and all. But, she just wanted to be with her friends. She would worry about that later because right now dinner was appearing on the table and her dad was smiling, actually smiling, at her.

Chapter Text

The first class Alyssa had with the Gryffindor class was potions. She couldn’t have been more excited to see Harry, Ron and Hermione. As the two houses gathered outside the classroom Alyssa and Hermione met in the middle.

It was obvious both sides were staring them down. They were sizing their friendship up. Alyssa could feel all the eyes but Hermione didn’t seem to notice. She smiled, brightly at Alyssa and asked her how she was settling in.

“Oh, pretty well. It’s exciting to be able to share a class with you,” Alyssa said.

“Why don’t we sit together?” Hermione suggested. There were a few angry scoffs from both sides, but Alyssa didn’t care.

“Oi, Hermione, what are you doing?” Ron asked. He was glaring at Alyssa in a way that really just made it look like he was doing an angry squint. Alyssa imagined, for a moment, that Ron was actually just a grumpy squirrel who was upset his chestnuts had been stolen. It brought a soft giggle to her lips but she covered her mouth and stifled it to death.

“Talking to my friend,” Hermione said, not even looking at Ron. Alyssa could see Ron throw his arms up in the air in confusion and Harry just shook his head.

“It’s actually not against the rules to talk to students in other houses,” Hermione said, loudly. She was looking at all the Slytherins while Alyssa looked at all the Gryffindors. The tension in the air became hot and sticky and Alyssa suddenly felt like what she was doing was going to incite a riot.

Slowly, the door to the potions room opened. The long creak of the wooden door on its hinges drew everyone’s eyes to the tall figure in the doorway.

Severus stood there in his solid black robes that surrounded him like storm clouds. His lips were pressed into a thin line and Alyssa knew that meant that he was already tired even though this was the first class of the day. Grant it, it was Tuesday so maybe he just had rough classes yesterday.

“You may enter,” He said, turning and sweeping towards the front of the class. Without his body to block the door the familiar scent of his classroom over took Alyssa and the other students.

The scent was rather peculiar but it made Alyssa feel truly comforted. The room smelt like a mixture of fire, pungent herbs, and dampness. To a trained potion maker like Alyssa she could tell that another class had been working on their shrinking solution. The scent of daisies was hidden behind the scent of the dampness and it made her smile.

Her dad always saved the flowers for her. The potion only called for daisy root but someone would always come with the full plant. So, they had to chop the roots off which left Severus with a pile of flowers and Alyssa loved flowers. Her dad always told her that if she was going to be good at potions she also needed to be good at herbology. So, she spent extra time in the greenhouse learning all she could.

Upon entering the classroom Hermione took her by the hand and lead her to the set of desks in the front of the class. They sat front and center and Alyssa could see the confusion on her dads face. Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed but his right eyebrow was lifted ever so slightly.

The expression was short lived as he flicked his wand closing the door with a thud. He launched into his first year speech about potions and their importance and he was going to sculpt young minds. It was going well, students were enraptured by him. His love was deep and reverberated through the room making him sound much scarier than he actually was.

Alyssa was half way to zoning out when he changed the script on her.

“Mister Potter. Do you find my lecture boring?”

“Uh no sir I was -“

“Tell me then, Mister Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

“Sadness and longing.” Alyssa said, before she could stop herself. The entire room became so quiet that Alyssa was sure time had stopped. Everyone’s eyes were on her and her father looked enraged.

“Out,” he said, pointing to the door. Alyssa tried to apologize but her words were trapped in her throat. Was this really happening right now? She hadn’t ever made her father this mad and it had her fully stunned. She felt like someone had hit her with petrificus totalus and then left her on train tracks to be run over by the Hogwarts express.

Alyssa stood up, and slowly made her way out of the class. The door closed behind her with a hard slam and all she could do was sink down on the ground outside the classroom. She had left everything in the room and was now stuck listening to the echo of her father through the door.

He was starting them on identification. The lesson was a simple one and she was going to easily succeed at it but she felt alone out here because well she was alone. Carefully, she pulled her knees to her chest making herself into as tight a ball as she could. She imagined she was one of her gobstones. One of the ones her dad gave her from his mothers collection. They were round and smooth and without faults unlike her.

As she sank into the darkness of her mind the door opened and her dad cleared his throat. Slowly she looked up at him and wiped away the tears she didn’t know errr flowing down her cheeks. There was a second where he looked truly sorry but it was replaced with that neutral face he used with students.

“You may come back in. But, I will not take kindly to another outburst.” He said. Each word pierced into her heart and sat there like led weights. She couldn’t find the strength to get up all she could do was cry, harder and louder. Panic was rising in her chest and suddenly she was feeling faint. Each breath she took was harder than the last and the world was spinning. Before Alyssa or her dad could react she fell over her eyes closing causing her to sink into a darkness that was so empty and so vast it exceeded the concept of forever.

When Alyssa awoke she was in a bed. The clean scent of the infirmary assaulted her nose making her sit up in bed and rub it.

“Oh your awake,” Hermione said. She was sitting next to the bed reading a large leather bound book. But, she wasn’t alone next to her sat Harry and surprisingly Ron as well. Ron was chewing on a licorish wand while Harry was looking at some type of journal.

“What happened?” She asked.

“You had a panic attack and passed out. Professor Snape had to end class early to bring you here.” Hermione explained. Alyssa was confused; she didn’t know you could panic so hard you passed out. She figured it was normal for everyone to panic a little bit all the time.

“Alyssa,” Madame Pomfrey said, walking over. In her hand she held a small glass with what looked like an amber liquid in it.

“Yes?”

“This is for you. I’ll be having it delivered to you in the mornings as well. It seems you may have a little bit of an anxiety disorder dear.” Alyssa felt embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, my brother also takes it,” Ron said. “Percy the stuck up one. He used to be a lot worse but when he was about fourteen we discovered that it was just anxiety.”

“But I’m only eleven.”

“Anxiety can happen at any age dear. Please, drink.” The healer said, holding out the glass. Alyssa took it and slowly drank it. It was an interesting taste. It was as if someone took the warmth of the sun and bottled it. She instantly felt relaxed and clear headed.

“Thank you.” She said, handing off the glass.

“Thirty minutes and then you four can go,” Madame Pomfree said before walking away.

“Are you okay besides the anxiety?” Harry asked. It was clear that wasn’t what he wanted to ask her but at least he had som tact.

“Yeah. I didn’t hit my head or anything.” Alyssa said.

“Good,” Harry said, looking around the room before finally asking, “How did you know the answer? Even Hermione said she didn’t know it.”

“I didn’t,” Hermione admitted.

“Oh uh well my dads Professor Snape and he always said that if you want to excel at potions you need to understand plants. So, I spent some time with Professor Sprout and she taught me what flowers and other plants mean. So I just took the meaning of the two.” She explained.

“Fascinating,” Hermione said. “Would you teach me sometime?”

“Oh yeah! I have a few books I can -“

“Right well what did that mean then?” Ron asked. He had no tact.

“Oh I don’t know.” Alyssa said. “But, maybe I could find out for you.” She said, quickly. She wanted so badly to impress them and be their friend. So far the students in her house were unbearable. There was only one student she was even remotely interested in possibly befriending and that was Blaise.

“That would be great.” Hermione said. “Harry seems to think your dad hates him.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Alyssa said. It was true that her dad disliked Gryffindors but he didn’t hate any students. Okay maybe he hated Fred and George, but a lot of professors did. “My dad doesn’t like to give anyone special treatment and I’m sure he just thinks you might be getting it by some.” She explained.

“But I’m not!” Harry snapped. Alyssa jumped and he quickly muttered an apology. It was clear he was frustrated so Alyssa did what she always did, tried to calm him. She touched his hand and smiled.

“I know your not.” She said. This seemed to work and he just smiled giving her hand a squeeze. That was the last of that moment because in swept her father. His robes billowed behind him threatening to cause him to take flight. There was that neutral face but she knew it was hiding worry.

Quickly the other three stood up, said goodbye to Alyssa, and rushed off. With the seats vacant her dad sat down and let her see his actual emotion, pure fear. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close to his chest.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” He whispered. This was the Severus Snape only Alyssa knew. The one who had checked under her bed for boggarts when she was young. The one who saved her daisies and snuck her desserts from the bakery in Hogsmead. The one who had chosen to take her when no one else would.

“I’m sorry I spoke out of turn,” Alyssa replied, just as softly.

“It’s okay. You were right that is what you would get but I’m not sad and I’m not lonely I have you,” He said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Everything was right in the world so long as she was here in his arms.

Chapter Text

The next morning she took her calming draught and got ready to go to the one class she was dreading, flying. Alyssa had seen many quidditch games in her life and that meant she had seen a few students plumet. No one died thanks to Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the staff, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t terrified.

“What’s that?” Draco sneered, snatching her now empty glass from her and looking at it. “Are you sick or something?”

“Must be a draught of weakness,” Pansy teased. Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“Very clever Pansy. Did you come up with that on your own or did you get it from a chocolate frog card?” Alyssa asked.

“Ew, who even eats chocolate frogs?” Pansy asked. The other first years muttered their opinions just as the food started to vanish off the table. The clock chimes could be heard through the castle. It was time to head to flying class.

Madam Hooch was a tall, thin woman. She had previously played quidditch on the Holyhead Harpies but after she took a bludger to the face she stopped playing and returned to Hogwarts to teach.

Alyssa always saw her making eyes at Madame Pomfrey and it made her smile. The two were very private people and Alyssa knew that no one would ever know if they were together or not. So, she didn’t push her luck.

Right now, she was holding a broom, awkwardly, and stroding to the front lawn with the other first years. She was excited to see this lesson was also with the Gryffindor class. Her and Hermione had talked briefly before Madame Hooch had rushed them out to the lawn.

She stood next to Draco and across from Hermione as she attempted to get her broom to listen.

“Up,” She said, holding her hand out straight. Similar to Hermione across the way, the broom simply flopped over. Why hadn’t she asked her dad to at least teach her the basics? She had been too busy learning potions and plants and not once even looked at a broom.

Draco, Harry, and Ron already had their brooms in hand. Alyssa was starting to feel embarrassed especially as Draco looked at her. He was smirking and she could see that Pansy also had her broom in hand. Was she really the only person in Slytherin who didn’t have her broom in hand?

“Come on you stupid stick, up!” She snapped and the broom shot into her hand. She held it, wobbling a bit as it struggled against her a bit. Clearly her broom was just as stubborn as she was.

“Now that you all have your brooms we are going to mount them,” Madam Hooch said demonstrating.

“Then, kick off the ground. You will rise up a little and slowly float back down.” She said, setting the broom down then looked at everyone.

Slowly people started trying to make their brooms listen. Draco and Harry were easily the best in the class. Their brooms listened instantly to their every command. Ron and Pansy were easily able to get the brooms to listen; they just landed much harder than the others. That left her and Hermione to be the only people not floating.

“Wonderful, don’t worry ladies, it can take time. Just keep trying and the rest will move on to the next lesson. Now, you are going to kick off, hover, and then land.” Madame Hooch explained.

The lesson seemed to be going okay with the rest of the group until Alyssa heard.

“Mr. Longbottom I demand you come down at once!” Alyssa and Hermione’s heads whipped around to look at the group just as Neville’s broom took off with him on it.

“Neville!” Hermione cried rushing forward but he was too far gone.

“Madame Hooch, you have to help him.” Alyssa said.

“His broom is behaving in a rather unpredictable manner. It’s best to let it run its course.” She explained.

Alyssa’s mouth dropped open at the casual willingness of her to let Neville fly off like this. He could get seriously hurt and she was just going to let it happen?

“But!”

“No buts Miss Snape,” Madame Hooch said, stepping forward. Alyssa turned and could see now that Neville had fallen from his broom. Her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to move forward and catch him but she was frozen.

Alyssa knew that she could use a spell or something to stop this. Anyone could use a spell to stop this, but why weren’t they doing that?

Neville landed on the ground with a hard thunk and a loud crack. Everyone took off at a full sprint over to him, except for Draco, Pansy, and a few other Slytherins.

Madame Hooch helped pull him to his feet and Alyssa could see that Neville’s wrist wasn’t just broken. His wrist was bent at an unnatural angle, the skin torn open where a sharp fragment of bone jutted out starkly against his pale flesh.

Madame Hooch quickly rushed towards the Hospital Wing with Neville leaving the group of first years standing alone out on the lawn.

Alyssa couldn’t stop staring at the dark red blood that had pooled on the grass where Neville landed. She felt sick to her stomach. Had she ever seen blood outside the human body that wasn’t hers? Of course she hurt herself but she hardly ever saw other people’s blood and it was making her dizzy.

“Alyssa,” Hermione said, grabbing her. Slowly the two girls lowered to the ground and Alyssa put her head on Hermione's shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Hermione said as Draco sauntered past them and picked up the remembrall. He looked at it and smirked.

“Looks like the fat lard forgot to remember to land on his feet.” He said.

“Give it back, Malfoy,” Harry said, stepping forward. Everyone instantly circled up around the two. Hermione and Alyssa quickly stood up but they were too late. Harry and Draco were already on their brooms.

“Harry don’t!” Hermione called but it was too late. Everyone was running trying to keep up with the two of them flying around Hogwarts. Alyssa kept watching them and all she could think about was what if Harry fell? Draco could stand to fall and be knocked down a peg. But Harry, he didn’t deserve that.

“If you want it so badly, catch it!” Draco said, throwing the remembrall. Harry sped off like a bullet. His hand was stretched as he dove towards the ground. Draco smirked, floating down, slowly.

“Don’t fall, don’t fall!” Alyssa whispered, as the entire crowd fell silent. All eyes were on Harry and his broom plummeting towards the ground. Slowly his fingers found the remembrall and he pulled up. He didn’t hit the ground and his broom listened to everything he said.

As he floated down everyone cheered running towards him. Hermione and Alyssa got to him first, hugging him and cheering with pride just as McGonagall’s voice cut through the group.

“Harry Potter, come with me. The rest of you go to the library for study hour,” She said.

“Do you think he’s in trouble?” Hermione asked, walking with Alyssa to the library.

“No, that was her smile that I saw,” Alyssa said, as they made their way into the library and found a table. Her eyes lingered on the restricted section.

Ever since Alyssa had become a student she was hoping to get a note to be able to enter the restricted section. She wanted to know more about her father and what had happened between him and Harry all those years ago.

“Hermione, what do you know about he who shall not be named?” She asked. Hermione looked up from her transfiguration book and then closed it. She leaned in and smiled, almost as if this was a secret she was longing to spill.

“A lot. You know, Harry is the one who vanquished him?” She asked. “He got away with his life and that scar. If you ask me, I don’t think he’s really gone. There’s no way a child could defeat someone like him.” Hermione said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Alyssa said. She had never told anyone this, but it just didn’t make any sense. How could a baby destroy a whole man? Let alone someone who was supposed to be as strong as her father.

“Do you think that maybe they have books on him in the restricted section?” Alyssa asked.

“Probably, but we need a teacher's recommendation to get in there. Why don’t you ask your father?” Hermione suggested.

“I can’t. He doesn’t like when I look up information about you know who.” She explained.

“There must be someone we could ask…” Hermione said, tapping the table with the tip of her quill.

Alyssa thought for a moment. All the professors had raised her and they all knew who her dad was. But, there was one teacher who had taken a special interest in her so far this year, Professor Quirrell.

Quirrell had just gotten back from a couple years long trip doing research. When he returned back the first thing he did was convince Professor Dumbledore to let him teach defense against the dark arts. That had pissed off her father. He was so close to getting to do the one job he always wanted and Dumbledore gave it to Quirrell.

“I think I have a professor I can ask,” Alyssa said, gathering her things. “Cover for me,” She said, before exiting the library.

The defense against the dark arts room was empty when Alyssa arrived. She looked around, took a breath, and then headed to the office that was attached to the classroom.

With determination she knocked hard on the door. Each rapt echoey through the empty room behind her making her feel very small indeed. What if he said no and didn’t give her a pass to the restricted section? Would he tell her father? The two of them were not on speaking terms so hopefully this didn’t end them.

“Miss-miss-miss Snape,” Professor Quirrell stammered as he opened the door.

“Professor, you told me to come by during my free periods for extra assistance with class. So, here I am.” She said, putting on her best smile. It was the type of smile that made you think she was really just a small kind child who wanted to learn. She was that, but she was also a devious child who was using this professor to get what she wanted.

“I-I did. Yes. Come in,” He said, stepping back and closing the door. Alyssa had never seen his personal office and she was slightly surprised by the amount of dark artifacts he had.

“Professor is that-“

“Yes, the-uh the hand of glory,” He said. “It’s simply a-uh candle stick holder.” He explained as Alyssa looked at the shrunken hand.

“Doesn’t it also open doors and paralyze people?” Alyssa asked.

“Yes. That is why you can’t touch it.” He added, moving her away from the object. As he led her over to his desk she froze. She could just barely see the intricately carved silver behind a stack of books and scrolls, but she knew that was a death eater's mask.

“Professor, what did you do your research on when you were traveling?” Alyssa asked. She sat, opposite him, eyes still on the mask. The books were written in a language she didn’t really understand, but one of them was written in one only she could understand, parseltongue.

“Oh, nothing too fancy. Just collected some of the-uh artifacts you see-see-see here,” He said, gesturing. “Do-do you have questions about the material?” He asked.

Alyssa didn’t reply immediately; she was too busy trying to figure out if he found the mask or always had it. “No, but I wanted to see if you could get me a pass into the restricted section.” She said, her tone cool and even.

A spark of fear flashed across Quirrell’s face and he pulled out a scroll. Quickly he wrote down a pass for her and held it out. Alyssa looked at him and the uneasy smile that was in his face.

“I want you to bring whatever you read here. I’ll hold it and you can read it with me here. If you have questions we can discuss. I en-en-encourage all my students to do independent study. How else can the mind improve?” He asked.

“Thanks!” Alyssa said, excitedly. “Can I go get them now?” She asked.

“Yes. But hurry back I have a class soon,” He said, getting up and walking with her towards the office door.

“If I get back during your class can I just drop the book off in here?” Alyssa asked, her eyes glancing over to the book with parseltongue on it.

“Yes, just be quick.” He said, ushering Alyssa out of the room. Before Alyssa could turn around and say thank you he slammed the door in her face. Alyssa looked at the door for half a second then exited quickly.

When Alyssa arrived back in the library she couldn’t find Hermione, so she went into the restricted section alone.

The restricted section was dimly lit and silent. Each step Alyssa took sounded like thunder echoing off the tall shelves crammed with leather-bound volumes. Her eyes looked over each and every book but didn’t find itself drawn to anything in particular, so she kept walking.

As she walked she glanced at books finding different tiles interesting but not the one she wanted. The first book she did consider was Rite of the Blood: Family Magic and Its Limits by Aedan Yaxley. As she carefully looked through the old book she noticed that there was an entire section about the Gaunt family ripped out. This wasn’t any use to her, now.

Alyssa moved deeper into the restricted section, moving quietly between the towering shelves. For a while she didn’t find anything, until a faint, rhythmic thrumming clawed its way into her awareness – the unmistakable sound of a beating heart. Her fingers trembled as they brushed against the cold glass barrier, separating her from a volume bound in a sickeningly vibrant, blood-red leather. Chained cruelly to its cover, a real heart pulsed with a morbid life, each wet thud echoing the chilling title that whispered into her mind: Blood Sorcery: Rituals and Runes by Clémence la Noire.

“This is the one,” She said softly, her hand touching the lock.

“To release me you must make a sacrifice of blood.” The book whispered in her mind. She looked at the book, then at her hand. She searched through her bag and pulled out her quil. Carefully she held the tip over her finger before slamming it down. The cold metal nib sunk into her flesh. She felt the pain radiate up her finger but it didn’t matter, what mattered was the blood that was now welling up. She pressed her finger against the keyhole and slowly the thumping slowed and the lock opened. Alyssa pulled her finger away and found that it was healed completely.

“Merlin’s beard,” She said, picking up the book and exiting quickly. She didn’t even stop to check the book out, she knew that there was no way anyone would let her get her hands on this book. So, she rushed to Professor Quirrell’s class.

She slipped silently along the wall and into his office before setting the book down on his desk. She placed a hand on her chest, taking deep and steady breaths. She did it! Now, she had a new form of magic to study and it was going to help her defeat her father. She needed to rush off to get ready for her next class, but first she took the book written in parseltongue and hid it in her bag before leaving.

Chapter Text

Alyssa was nuzzled into her bed when her brain couldn’t find the off switch. So, she pulled the book out from under her pillow and carefully ran her fingers along the cover. It was a deep rich brown, leather book with the words ‘Roots Of The World’’ written in parseltongue on it.

It was heavier than she expected it to be, and the weight sat on her legs like a comforting stone. It anchored her to the moment and urged her to open the book. 

Carefully she opened the book letting the diluted moonlight from the lake slip over the words of the first page. 

Description of an encounter with a unicorn

His wand was gone and soon he would be as well. The world swam as the edges of his vision blurred. The damp forest floor was starting to feel comforting. This would be his final resting place, and with each labored breath he came to terms with that.

Just as darkness was starting to overtake him a bright white light appeared in the trees. Slowly it moved closer and closer to him growing brighter and brighter until he could see what the source was: a unicorn. 

Carefully it came closer to him. With each step it let out a soft whinney before finally stopping next to him. Its silvery eyes looked like they were made from moonlight and compassion. Slowly, it leaned forward and touched its horn to his chest. A wave of warmth flooded through him, chasing away the cold grip of death. His lungs filled with air, clear and deep, and the color returned to his ashen face.

But the desperation of near-death had twisted something within him. He didn’t see a kind savior in front of him, no he saw a source of life. With a speed and ferocity he didn’t even know he had, he pulled himself to his feet and threw himself at the unicorn. His teeth sunk into the delicate flesh of the unicorn before him. The warm silvery blood of the horse filled his mouth with a sharp metallic tang, but he couldn’t stop drinking. 

When he was done the lifeless body of the unicorn thunked to the ground. It was hard and definitive, the type of sound that only came when something broke beyond repair. Slowly, he stood to his full height, fully revitalized but forever stained by a half life of borrowed time. 

“What are you doing, nerd?” Came the spite filled voice of Pansy. Alyssa slammed her book shut and glared at Pansy in the darkness.

“Nothing, go to bed,” She whispered before lying down. She slid the book back under her pillow and continued facing away from Pansy. 

For a minute there was silence then she heard the steady creaking of springs and the soft padding of bare feet on the floor. She turned to see Pansy leaning over her bed. Her face was twisted into a deranged smirk as she threw her arms under Alyssa’s pillow and yanked the book out.

“Give that back!” Alyssa screamed, waking the entire room. Her body lurched forward and she tumbled out of the bed grasping for the book.

Pansy let out a scream as she jerked back stumbling until she fell on her ass. She skidded just a bit before kicking her feet to try and propel herself backwards.

“Give it to me!” Alyssa cried, crawling forward her finger nails scraping at the floor, then at the flesh on Pansy’s legs and finally on her hands.

“You’re crazy!” Pansy screamed, throwing the book hard. It slammed into Alyssa’s face with enough force to knock her back, splitting her lip open, and causing one of her teeth to fall out onto the ground.

Daphne and Tracy stood behind Pansy looking down at Alyssa as she touched her face. When she pulled her hand away she could see the dark red blood as it leaked from her mouth.

“Someone get a teacher,” She hear one of the other girls say.

“No, get a prefect!” Someone else said. But, Alyssa wasn’t paying attention to them anymore. Her eyes were focused on the blood. It was warm and slick on her fingers and as she focused on it all she could hear was the thudding of the heart on the cover of that book.

Thud thud. Thud thud. 

“Come with me,” Gemma Farley said, yanking Alyssa up. She walked briskly with Alyssa and Pansy to the hospital wing. She instructed them to stay put and after a while she returned with Professor Snape. Madam Pomfrey had already cleaned the two of them up and put Alyssa’s tooth back in place. Now, she was just sitting still looking at her fingers thinking about the blood. 

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked, looking between the two of them.

“She attacked me!” Pansy said, tears welling up in her eyes as she thrust her lip out in a dangerously large pout. 

“That’s because Pansy stole my book,” Alyssa said, crossing her arms. Her tone was cold and emotionless since she knew her father wasn’t one to care about theatrics. 

“Is this correct Miss Parkinson?” Professor Snape asked, looking down at her.

“She shouldn’t even have that book. It’s not in English.” Pansy said. “It’s some weird forbidden section library book.” 

“Alyssa?” Her father asked, looking at her. 

“It’s a book Professor Quirrell lent me. He’s mentoring me outside class,” She explained. She could see the slight changes in her father’s face. He was furious, and Alyssa felt the same fury rise up inside her. He had no right to stand in the way of her education.

“Miss Parkinson, return to the common room, immediately. Alyssa, come.” He said, turning away from the two of them his cloak billowing as he did.

“You’re in trouble,” Pansy mocked. 

“Shove it,” Alyssa replied, following after her father. 

The hallways of hogwarts were always mystical to Alyssa at night. They were dark and only lit by candle light in certain places. The rest of the castle was fully shrouded in darkness leaving her feeling truly peaceful as she roamed the halls. Tonight, her dad’s wand cut through the darkness like a knife through flesh. It ripped the peaceful atmosphere leaving it burning in his wake. 

“Dad.”

“Don’t. You will stay away from Professor Quirrell, he is not well.” Severus said. Alyssa looked at the back of his robes, he was moving so quickly her little legs could hardly keep up.

“He seems fine to me,” Alyssa said, rolling her eyes. 

“He is not. This is not up for debate. I expect you to trust me when I say you need to stay away from him.” 

“Then give me a reason. A real one.” She said, grabbing the back of his robe and making his turn around to face her. There was something on his face that was a mixture of anger and maybe sadness? She couldn’t really read the emotion, but it was one that dug right into her soul. 

“Because I said so. That is enough reason,” He said, not giving her an inch. Alyssa wanted to be a good daughter and say that she would stay away from him, but she also knew that it was important for her education to learn outside the classroom. So many teachers here tiptoed around her but Quirrell had changed since his research year, he trusted her in a way that even her dad didn’t seem to do.

“No,” Alyssa said softly. “Give me a real reason.” Her voice was low and deadly, a voice she didn’t even know she had was crawling out of her like a monster escaping from under a child’s bed. 

“I am your father, that is the reason,” Severus said, his voice low as well. However, it was as cold as ice. It was so cold that Alyssa felt herself fully freeze. She knew she was stepping into dangerous territory with her father and that was the last thing she wanted. 

“Okay.” She said, gently sliding her hand into his. She looked into his eyes and gave him a soft smile. “I won’t have extra lessons with him.” She said. 

Relief washed over Severus like spring washing away winter. The ice melted and his normal expression of calm was there, but also a little bit of pride.

“While I don’t condone what you did to Miss Parkinson, I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself.” He said, pulling Alyssa into a hug. It was warm and made all the emotions that Alyssa had been feeling wash away. All she could think about was how he was here and he was proud of her. She liked this feeling a lot. 

Chapter Text

After last night’s incident, this morning’s detention, and her first boring lecture in History of Magic behind her, Alyssa made her way to Charms full of excitement. Professor Flitwick had secretly been teaching her small charms, and she knew that this class was going to be easy.

Another thing that made her excited about the class was seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione there. The tension between the two houses was palpable, but not so bad that Alyssa felt stuck. That didn't mean she was going to walk right up to them and say hi, though. Instead, she skirted the edge, listening to Pansy recount the tale of her savage beating to Draco while Ron whispered about some type of dog. Neither conversation was particularly interesting, but she did notice Hermione, across from her, doing the same thing.

Hermione and Alyssa both stood on the outside of their houses looking in. Alyssa wasn't looking to make friends with the children of ex-Death Eaters. She was looking to make friends who challenged her and made her a better, stronger witch. Hermione, on the other hand, looked like she yearned to fit in, though she was clearly more comfortable with a book in her hand. Unlike most Gryffindors, who were loud, obnoxious, and in-your-face, Hermione was quiet, but Alyssa knew she had a bravery hidden deep inside her that the Sorting Hat saw. You never get sorted into the wrong house, at least not that Alyssa knew of, but sometimes, even within your house, you could feel like a perpetual observer, an invisible seam in the vibrant tapestry of belonging.

Before Alyssa could even wave the charms room opened and Professor Flitwick stood there. He was so small, it was a wonder he was able to keep the attention of older students like Fred and George Weasley. Though, from what she heard they excelled in his class so maybe that’s how he kept them under control.

“Good afternoon, students, and welcome to your charms class. I am Professor Flitwick, and I’ll be teaching you for the next seven years of your lives. I’m excited to see you grow into fine, upstanding witches and wizards. Please, come in and take a seat with your houses.” He said, before turning and bustling into the room.

The students flooded in, quickly taking their seats. Some pulled out notes, others textbooks, then of course there were the kids, like Crabbe and Goyle, who just sat there with their wands in hand. Alyssa had decided to skip the textbook and just pull out her note-taking supplies.

“Today we will be learning the levitation charm. So, first with any spell you must learn the wand movement. For this spell it will be a swish and flick,” he said, demonstrating. Instantly, people burst into motion, trying to mimic the professor.

“Hold on. Hold on,” he said, waving his hands to get everyone’s attention. “We will do this together, one house at a time.” Flitwick said, turning to the Gryffindor side of the room. Alyssa smiled as she watched them all slowly doing the wand movement. Everyone seemed to be doing okay from what she could see.

“Wonderful, now let’s go fast,” Flitwick said, picking up the pace until it was one fluid motion. “Neville, please don’t jab your wand; it’s a flick motion. I’m sure you don’t want anything exploding on you,” he said. This caused Neville to lose all the color in his face as he vigorously shook his head. He swished and flicked his wand two more times before getting the approval from Flitwick to stop as he moved over to the Slytherin side.

It was no surprise that Draco and Alyssa were the top two students in class. Even though Draco was a jerk, he clearly cared about his studies and absorbed everything he could. Alyssa, on the other hand, already knew the spell. But that didn't mean she wasn’t focused; she was very intrigued by the book she had acquired from the Forbidden Section and was looking forward to her lesson with Professor Quirrell soon. She hoped he would be free this afternoon for their first lesson, as it was hard to get the book, either of them, out of her head.

After returning to her room last night, she put Roots of the World in a better hiding spot. Not before discovering, however, that the book was written by Salazar himself. It seemed this was a published version of one of his notebooks, which is why it was written in Parseltongue. For a moment, she wondered why Quirrell, of all people, would have it. Then she just let the thought go, brushing it off as "just Ravenclaw things." Ravenclaws were always collecting knowledge so they could transform magic and make it better or more efficient.

“Now, let's add the words, "Wingardium Leviosa," Flitwick said, his voice bright and chipper as it echoed through the Charms classroom. "Say it with me, everyone." The class fell into a bored, mumbled chant of the two magical words, repeating them over and over until Professor Flitwick, ever the patient instructor, decided they were finally ready to try the practical application: levitating feathers.

Alyssa, with a seemingly effortless flick of her wrist and a quiet incantation, easily had her feather rising gracefully into the air. This immediate success earned her a sharp scowl from Draco Malfoy and audible grumbles of frustration from the other first-years struggling around her.

Nearby Crabbe and Goyle had managed to knock their feathers onto the classroom floor, and were now comically trying to use their feet to nudge the feather back towards them. Draco, after several attempts and a noticeable vein pulsing in his forehead, finally managed to get his own feather to lift. With a sneer of triumph, he then pointed his wand at Crabbe and Goyle's fallen feathers, levitating them back to them. Quickly the two of the applauded.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy," Flitwick praised.

Draco’s smirk widened, directed pointedly at Alyssa, a silent challenge in his eyes. A wave of annoyance washed over Alyssa threatening to drown her if she didn’t do something. With a defiant gleam she swished and flicked her wand, her focus shifting to a heavy paperweight resting on Flitwick's desk. With a quiet, almost imperceptible incantation, the paperweight became airborne, floating easily and elegantly across the room before landing with a gentle thud directly in front of Draco. Alyssa smirked looking at the rest of the Slytherins, daring them to challenge her.

"Miss Snape, what excellent control!" Flitwick exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with pride. As she turned back to face the center of the bustling classroom, Alyssa could see Hermione Granger trying her best to help a visibly exasperated Ron.

“It’s Leviosa not Leviosar,” Hermione explained as her feather floated up, disappearing somewhere near the enchanted ceiling. A small triumphant smile played on her lips, a stark contrast to the frustrated scowls on the faces of her classmates who still struggled with the simple charm.

"Show off," Ron muttered under his breath, his own feather stubbornly rooted to the desk, occasionally twitching as if in protest. The comment, though barely audible, was enough to trigger a ripple of snickers from Dean, Seamus, and Harry.

In that moment Alyssa saw Hermione break. Her enthusiasm for learning that propelled her to excel in every subject, seemed to dim, then slowly extinguish. As she deflated Hermione transformed right in front of Alyssa's eyes, into a wallflower who just wanted the lesson to end. The unspoken truth hung heavy in the air: they didn't understand her, it was glaringly obvious.

Alyssa subtly tried to catch Flitwick's eye, hoping he'd offer some encouragement to Hermione, but his back was turned. He was preoccupied, rummaging around for heavier objects to challenge the class with. By the end of the lesson, Alyssa and Hermione clearly demonstrated the most control, effortlessly lifting and neatly stacking two chairs in a corner. Meanwhile, Draco and most of their classmates struggled, still stuck on moving rocks. A few, like Pansy, hadn't even progressed beyond feathers, a fact that only intensified Alyssa's pride in herself.

"Class dismissed! Ms. Snape, would you mind staying behind for a moment?" Flitwick called out. Alyssa gathered her belongings and approached his desk as the last of her classmates trickled out.

“I must say, you've clearly been practicing," he began, a pleased smile on his face. "I'm very happy to see how much progress you've made. And it truly surprised me how quickly Ms. Granger picked up on the spell. She's definitely someone to keep an eye on." He offered her a small cherry sour ball.

“Thank you, professor.” Alyssa said, taking the candy.

“You're very welcome. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am, and that I look forward to having you in my class, especially when you put a Malfoy in his place," he added with a quiet chuckle. Alyssa rounded the desk and gave him a soft, appreciative hug before heading off to Professor Quirrell's office.

Alyssa arrived at Quirrell’s classroom just as the last of his 6th year students were leaving. The scent of fire and burnt flesh hung heavy in the air as a boom made quick work of burned piles of ash.

“Alyssa, wonderful, I wa- was hoping to see you today,” He said. Quirrell seemed to be in a very good mood today which made Alyssa happy.

“Did you get a chance to look at the book I choose?” She asked.

“Yes, blood-blood magic is very hard. Not everyone has a talent for it. F-first you will need to learn the rules. I already read them, and have made a l-list for you,” he said getting a scroll from his desk and handing it to her to look over.

Rules of Blood Magic
Your Blood Is the Price: Every spell requires your own blood as fuel. No exceptions.
Precision Over Power: A drop of blood, wielded skillfully, is more potent than a gush used carelessly.
Willpower Is Paramount: Doubt or hesitation will cause your magic to falter and may harm you.
Morality Matters: The price you pay for your spells increases dramatically when your actions go against your conscience.
Blood Leaves a Trace: Your spilled blood creates a magical link, leaving you vulnerable if you're not careful.
Practice Refines, Overuse Consumes: While consistent, careful practice hones your abilities and strengthens your connection to blood magic, reckless or excessive use will only weaken your vessel and lead to catastrophic consequences.

"Let’s start sm-sm-small,” Quirrell said, getting a simple looking knife and coming over to her. Gently he took one of her fingers and pressed the tip to it. Warm blood pooled on her fingertip and Quirrell stood back setting the knife down. “Make it spin,” He said.

“How. Do I touch it or just think about it?” She asked.

"Just think. Extend your will," he said, moving to stand behind her. His hands settled on her shoulders, warm and wet, yet disturbingly clammy. The heat from them wasn't comforting; it pressed through her robes, a suffocating weight that felt like it was trying to seep into her very bones, to overtake her entire body. It made it almost impossible to focus on anything beyond the desperate need for him to remove his hands.

Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes went by, and the knife hadn't spun. The blood had dried to a dark, unsettling scab, and Quirrell was still touching her. Every hair on her body began to prickle, standing on end as his shadowed form loomed behind her. She knew he was trying to project some kind of kind teacherly aura, but all she felt was a hidden darkness slowly creeping into her bones. Finally, she jerked away from him, desperate to escape his oppressive presence.

"Well, that didn't work. Maybe tomorrow. I need to go, it's the Halloween feast tonight," she blurted, grabbing her bag and bolting from the room. Her feet flew down corridors and stairs, until she found herself outside the girls' restroom. She pushed open the door, her heart hammering, hoping to find a moment of solitary breath, but then she heard sniffling.

"Hello?" Alyssa asked, her voice turning soft as she moved further into the quiet bathroom. The crying stopped abruptly, and Alyssa heard the distinct sound of someone pulling their feet up, tucked away. Carefully, she scanned each stall, then decided to simply knock on the one in the middle.

“Go away," Hermione's voice, thick with unshed tears, called out from the stall two over.

“Hermione?” Alyssa asked. “What’s wrong?”

Hermione didn't answer right away, but the stall door creaked open, and she slowly emerged. Her eyes were swollen and red, and her usually neat hair seemed to have puffed out, almost wild with distress.

"What happened?" Alyssa asked gently, as Hermione walked over to the sink. She splashed water on her face, trying to erase the evidence of her pain, before finally turning to look at Alyssa.

"I heard Ron say no one can stand me because I’m a nightmare know-it-all." Hermione's voice trembled, as a fresh wave of sadness washing over her. Alyssa rushed over, her own face tightening with a smidge of protective anger for her friend. She took both of Hermione's hands in hers and giving them a tight squeeze; pressure always helped Alyssa calm down when she felt like she was about to fall apart.

"So, he’s just a dumb boy. I like you because you’re a know-it-all," Alyssa declared. "I don’t care what house or what gender you are. All I care about is that you’re smart, and kind. You don’t need them if they don’t like you." Hermione nodded, listening intently to Alyssa’s words, a small flicker of hope in her tear-filled eyes, before she leaned in and hugged her.

“Thank you.”

"Of course," Alyssa replied, a warm, compassionate smile spreading across her face. "Now we should go eat. The Halloween feast is really good," she added, taking Hermione's hand to lead her out.

As the two went to exit the doorway erupted, not with a person, but with a grotesque, bulbous stomach, forcing its way through the frame. A monstrous arm, wielding a gnarled club, followed. Instinctively, they recoiled, their hearts hammering against their ribs as a mountain troll lumbered into the room.

Fear surged through Alyssa like a jolt of electricity. She and Hermione scrambled back, diving into the same stall. A thunderous roar ripped through the air as the troll brought its club down with bone-shattering force, demolishing the bathroom stalls in a splintering explosion of wood. Both girls were thrown to the ground, the impact stealing their breath. A sharp, searing pain lanced through the back of Alyssa’s hand. A jagged piece of wood had lodged itself deep. She saw a faint, crimson trickle of blood as she lay still playing dead. But the troll saw them.

“Alyssa, Hermione, run!” Harry’s voice, raw with urgency, sliced through the chaos as he burst into the bathroom, Ron hot on his heels. Hermione and Alyssa rolled onto their hands and knees and clawed their way out from the wreckage. They scrambled towards the sinks just as the troll’s club descended shattering the porcelain in front of them. Shrieks of pure terror tore from their throats as they pressed themselves against the cold wall, nowhere left to go.

The troll began to raise its club for another devastating strike. But when he raised the club Harry dropped onto its colossal shoulder, his wand clutched tight. The troll pitched violently as it tried to dislodge him. With a grunt of exertion, Harry shoved his wand deep into its nostril. The troll roared, a sound of agony and fury, its head thrashing wildly as it tried to snort out the offending object, before its massive hand closed around Harry.

“Do something!” Harry’s scream was guttural, desperate, as Ron, pale and trembling, fumbled for his wand. His entire body shook uncontrollably, but he managed the precise swish and flick, his voice clearly enunciating, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

The trolls club held fast in the air causing him to completely freeze and look up at it. It stared with confusion at the placement of his club, after all it should be in his hand, not up there. While he was pondering the absence of his club the spell ran out and it dropped onto his head.

Harry tumbled out of his grasp and onto the floor but the troll was falling right on top of him. “Harry move!” Alyssa cried feeling the cut on her hand pulse. A surge of raw energy ignited within her, setting every nerve on fire, a magic so subtle, so fleeting, that she barely saw it happen. Harry was nudged, ever so slightly, just to the side. The troll landed with a deafening THUNK on the ground, mere inches from Ron.

“Oh my goodness!” McGonagall cried as she hurried into the room followed by Severus and Quirrell. “You better explain yourselves,” She said gesturing to the room. Harry, grabbed his wand and Hermione helped Alyssa to her feet, she felt so tired all the sudden.

“It’s my fault,” Hermione said. “I went looking for the troll and happened to find it attacking Alyssa. I just made things worse, but if Ron and Harry hadn’t come to stop me, we’d probably both be dead.” She said, before anyone else could explain what happened.

“Alyssa,” Severus said. She didn’t even have it in her to do anything more than nod before she crumbled back down to her knees. Severus rushed over, and Alyssa could see he was hurt.

“Dad…”

“Don’t. Let’s get you to Madame Pomfrey,” He said as Quirrell came over to help. There was a moment of palpable tension as they helped her up.

“Sheer dumb luck,” McGonagall muttered, as she helped get Alyssa to the Medical Wing. Everything was so heavy and blurry that when they set her down on the bed she instantly passed out.

Chapter Text

By the time Alyssa finally woke up, morning had come and gone and the busy Saturday she had planned turned into a lazy one. The noon day sun, muted by the infirmary’s heavy curtains, still managed to filter through, casting a gentle glow on the otherwise sterile room. It made her feel like she was a doll in someone’s playhouse.

Madame Pomfrey had informed Alyssa that she was not allowed to leave until her father had come to take her back to her room. This was a requirement Snape had put in place after having to carry her all the way here last night.

“He’s just worried,” She assured Alysssa, before walking off to take care of other students. Alyssa knew that she was going to be here a while since it was mid-day and her dad was probably busy tending to his students who had received the dreaded Saturday detention.

Alyssa sighed, trying to find a comfortable position in the bed before deciding to just lay down. As soon as she did her eyelids started to droop. Her entire body felt as if a lead blanket had been draped over it. The small cut on her finger was fully closed now, a thin pink line barely visible against her skin, but she felt as if an invisible string dangled from it, tugging at her. Carefully, she shook her hand, wondering if maybe it had fallen asleep, but the peculiar, persistent sensation remained, a faint, almost otherworldly pull.

She was just about to call for Madame Pomfrey when the door opened and in walked Hermione, followed closely by Harry and Ron who trailed behind them a couple paces. Hermione rushed over to Alyssa’s side, her expression a mix of concern and relief, grabbing the hand she had been shaking in her own. Instantly the weird feeling’s she had been experiencing vanished as Hermione’s cheerful smile brought a warmth she didn’t realize she had been missing.

“You look like you’re doing much better. No one would tell us what happened just that we could see you this afternoon. Did you hit your head?” Hermione asked, her brow furrowed with worry as Harry and Ron dragged three chairs over and took seats around her bed, their own faces reflecting similar concern.

“Yeah, probably,” Alyssa lied. It came out so easily almost as if the instinct to keep the secret of her blood magic to herself was second nature. She felt a twinge of guilt at lying to them, but that’s what any good Slytherin would do. They would lie to protect themselves and the secrets of magic they held close to their chest. They had to protect their secrets, she had to protect this magic, no matter what it meant.

“Well, I hear that you’ll be free to leave today, which is good news.” Hermione said, before glancing at Ron and Harry. There was something conspiratorial about the look they shared before all leaning into the bed.

“That’s true,” Alyssa said, looking between them.

"Good," Hermione said. "We wanted to show you something." She glanced between Harry and Ron, her gaze expectant. Harry nodded, and Alyssa noticed the faint, dark circles beneath his eyes, hinting at a lack of sleep. It could have been from last night, or perhaps a few days; Alyssa didn’t know, as she wasn't one to study his eyes even if they were a pretty shade of green. Ron, on the other hand, rolled his eyes so dramatically Alyssa was sure they’d get stuck that way.

“I’d love to go but-“

"Alyssa, dear, you're free to go," Madame Pomfrey said, appearing next to Alyssa's bed. Her voice came so suddenly it startled Alyssa. She wanted to protest, to say she was supposed to wait for her dad, but she saw a look in Madame Pomfrey's eyes. It was a look that said friendship mattered, and that Alyssa should take the opportunity to be with her friends. Alyssa knew that if anyone was going to stare down her father and win it would be her.

“Wonderful,” Hermione said, standing up. Her motions felt stilted like she was anxious about what they would be doing. After facing a troll last night, it was hard to imagine anyone being scared, but Alyssa didn’t want to question it. She just got dressed and left with the trio.

Once the group was outside the hospital wing Hermione pulled Alyssa close to her, intertwining their arms as they walked.

“We’re going to the third floor so act natural,” Hermione whispered as Harry fell into step in front of them and Ron brought up the rear.

"Why?" Alyssa asked, her voice hushed. She knew the third floor was strictly off-limits this year, a strange new rule she didn’t understand since it had never been forbidden before. She would have expected the Weasley twins to sneak in there by now, but certainly not Hermione. Hermione, the most risk-averse person she knew, seemed like an unlikely candidate for going into forbidden areas.

“Because, we found something crazy and just don’t know who or what it is,” Hermione explained.

"What it is," Ron corrected under his breath. Hermione shot him a sharp look over her shoulder as they exited off the main staircase and onto the third-floor landing. They took maybe five steps before they were met by the scruffiest, ugliest cat imaginable. Every student knew Mrs. Norris, the ever-watchful feline companion of the caretaker, Argus Filch.

"Balls," Ron muttered, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. They were about to turn and head back to the stairs, their mission seemingly over before it began, when Alyssa pulled away from the group. Filch was the only adult on campus who openly harbored a dislike of Alyssa, but Mrs. Norris was a different story. She walked calmly over to the cat she had petted so many times before and simply picked her up. Instantly, Mrs. Norris began to purr, settling into the familiar comfort of Alyssa's arms.

"Bloody hell, are you a cat whisperer?" Ron asked, his jaw slack with disbelief, as he watched Mrs. Norris give him a death glare from her perch in Alyssa's arms. This got a soft chuckle from Alyssa as she nuzzled her face into Mrs. Norris’ fur.

“She’s just a cat,” She said, starting down the hall. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but at least this got them to follow after her.

"Last door on the right," Hermione said, her voice barely a whisper. The door in front of them was a large wooden one with an intricately carved pattern that seemed to twist and turn in the dim light of the corridor. Alyssa had seen this door many times before, but she had never gone inside. The third floor, she knew, was a menagerie of rooms: some were simple storage for Hogwarts as a whole, others held the belongings of witches and wizards who kept things here for safekeeping, and a few were for the overflow of professors' items. But nothing here had ever seemed important enough to warrant being off-limits, let alone a place of such intense secrecy.

“You may want to put the cat down,” Harry said, glancing at Mrs. Norris in her arms. Alyssa looked at him then the door and finally set her down. She gave her a couple chin scritches before promising her warm milk if she didn’t tell on them. This seemed to please Mrs. Norris enough and she sauntered off to sit and wait at the entrance to the floor, like she was supposed to.

Carefully, Harry pushed open the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. The others followed, peering inside behind him. Alyssa was surprised, but not in the way she had expected. Before her, half-awake, was a behemoth-sized three-headed dog. She knew this dog was Fluffy and belonged to Hagrid, but she didn't expect him to be inside the castle.

The middle head lifted, letting out a low growl that alerted the other two heads to the presence of the open door. Fear flooded through Alyssa as she quickly backed out of the room, followed by the others. With the door securely shut, she pressed her back against a nearby wall and turned to face the trio.

“What is Fluffy doing here?” She asked, her voice a mixture of fear and confusion.

“Fluffy?” Ron asked, his eyes impossibly wide.

“Hagrid’s dog!” Alyssa exclaimed, gesturing wildly towards the door.

"Excuse me," came the soft, timid voice of Professor Quirrell. Everyone's heads snapped to attention as they turned to look at him.

"I-I don't think you should be here. Come, come," he said, gesturing for them to follow him. They quickly left the hallway, joining him on the edge of the grand staircase.

"Sorry, Professor..." Harry started, but Quirrell just waved his hand dismissively.

"I saw nothing. Miss Snape, are you interested in another lesson today?" he asked, his eyes flickering toward Alyssa.

"Right, yes, of course," Alyssa said, looking at the trio. "I'll see you at dinner. We can talk then." She turned and followed Quirrell toward his classroom.

As Alyssa entered the scent of garlic slid into her nose. She frowned, knowing that this would be a long lesson with this scent. It was clear that Quirrell had recently come out of one of his “fits” as her father called them. Quirrell had encountered a vampire in his travels that had become obsessed with him so this was how he protected himself. Alyssa figured there were better ways to ward off a vampire like salt or holy water perhaps. But then again, she was not an expert on the subject, like Quirrell.

With the door shut, Professor Quirrell turned to face Alyssa, his expression strangely calm and composed. He smiled at her as if she were a long-lost friend he hadn't seen in ages. The look both unnerved and deeply unsettled her, yet it also reminded her of the man he was before his trip abroad. Back then, he had been sharp as a whip and so passionate about knowledge that it secretly made Alyssa wish she would be sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Professor, I did it!" she said, a surge of excitement in her voice. The words felt like a confession and a celebration all at once. Last night, she'd successfully performed blood magic, and just being able to tell him about it filled her with a joyful grin.

"Did what?" he asked, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Her joy instantly escaped her, but then she noticed the slight twitch at the corners of his mouth. Was he teasing her?

A vague memory surfaced of him, before he left, teaching her the Accio spell so she could get candy whenever she wanted. Her father had been annoyed and reprimanded Quirrell for it, but Alyssa still used the spell. Every time she did, she'd show Quirrell, and he'd pretend nothing happened, but his lips would always turn up slightly at the corners.

"Blood magic," she whispered, the words sounding both forbidden and powerful. It was the kind of power that felt uniquely hers to wield. "I got cut by one of the cubicle doors, and I told Harry to move, and his body moved out of harm's way," she explained, the sense of awe still fresh.

“Show me," he said, reaching for a quill on his desk. Alyssa’s eyes fixated on the tip, marveling at how a simple object could be so sharp. One single drop of blood, that's all it took to make a difference. Why not use that drop to make a big difference?

So, she jabbed the nib into her finger. Pain shot up her arm like a slithering snake, coiling toward her heart. Taking a slow breath, she pulled the quill away to gaze at her blood, her life force, fueled by the core within her.

She lifted her eyes to meet Quirrell’s, uttering a single word: "Move.”

The moment the word left her lips, her magic exploded outward. The turban on his head began to unravel. With a startled yelp, he threw his arms out, shoving Alyssa to the ground. She managed to avoid hitting her head, but all the concentration she had mustered up was gone. A fog settled into her bones, creeping into the space where her blood had escaped, leaving her dazed.

"Are you an idiot!" he screamed, scrambling backward, his hands instinctively flying to the unraveling turban. "What in Merlin's name possessed you to do something so reckless?" His voice, usually smooth, was now a panicked croak as the fabric slowly stopped unraveling.

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa said, dragging herself to her feet. Quirrell's face had shifted from fear to rage, and finally settled on annoyance.

“Well, I th-think that’s enough for today. Perhaps we can continue when we have decided on better boundaries.” He said, voice slipping into that cold standoffish tone he had mastered so recently. She felt crushed that she had done something so wrong, but it was just the first thing that came to her mind. It’s as if she was drawn to what was under there.

“Thank you,” She whispered, vanishing out of the door, warm tears sliding down her cheeks as she made her way to her fathers office. Students were wandering around as the final class for the day had let out. Dinner was soon but she still had some time to kill so going to see her dad was probably best.

Having Halloween, or Samhain as Alyssa called it, on a Wednesday had really thrown her off. Add a troll attack to that and there was no way she knew what was happening. It was Thursday and on Saturday the big match between Slytherin and Gryffindor would be taking place. Alyssa hated quidditch but she knew that it meant a lot to most people. And that gave her an idea.

As she slid into her fathers office his face said it all. She was supposed to wait for him, and she didn’t. She had snuck out with three gryffindors of all things. The only thing that made it worse was that it was Harry Potter.

Alyssa cast her eyes down to her feet as she mumbled, "I'm sorry." Before she could even look up her dad stepped closer and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm not upset with you. I am upset with the Weasley twins and their friend Peeves," he muttered into her hair. They stood there for a moment, hugging. Alyssa knew she had scared him, not only by getting attacked by a troll, but by fainting afterward.

She looked up at him. "Dad?" His face was a mask of calm happiness, an expression that only she ever got to see. As far as she knew, he never shared that look with his students or other staff, but it was one that Alyssa loved to see.

"Yes?" Severus asked, pulling back to look at his daughter. For a moment, Alyssa swore he was seeing her for the first time since she started school. His lips twitched into what some might call a sly smile, but to Alyssa, it was a warm smile that spread like sunlight, shifting him from a studious teacher to her dad.

"Can we do Samhain tomorrow instead of Saturday?" His puzzled expression told her he was confused by her request. Alyssa and her father celebrated all the Sabbaths on the full moon closest to the holiday. Samhain ended up being on the Saturday after the holiday itself. The students in the Great Hall had already lit candles and celebrated with a feast. Alyssa had missed out on that tradition, but she wasn't going to miss out on this one.

“I want to invite some friends, and I think doing it before the game would be best.”

"And those friends are?" he asked, his expression dropping. Usually, this would have gutted Alyssa, but after everything that had happened, she felt bold.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione," she said, the words coming out more boldly than she expected. She braced herself for him to say no by matching his famous scowl with one of her own. She waited, her heart pounding, for the inevitable refusal, but instead, she saw a flicker of resignation in his eyes. He wasn't going to fight her on this.

"Okay," he finally said. There was no hint of happiness or joy in his voice, just acceptance. Excitedly, Alyssa threw her arms back around him and squeezed as tight as she could.

Chapter Text

Upon walking into the potions classroom, Alyssa could smell the beginning scents of the Samhain Memory potion brewing. Notes of rosemary, mugwort, and thistle tickled her nose as she walked further into the room. She paused, moving one of the chairs out of the aisle before rounding her father's desk and vanishing into the back.

Behind the main potions classroom were her father's office and the potion ingredient storage room. Her father was standing at his personal cauldron, stirring in a clockwise fashion while reading from the Daily Prophet. Alyssa stopped, standing next to the silver tray of pomegranates and turnips. She gently ran her fingers over the fruit before walking closer.

"Have you added in the banshee hairs and the Thestral scales?" she asked, leaning over to look at the potion as it brewed.

"Not yet," her dad said, stepping away to let her slide in and work. Alyssa knew this potion by heart. She had started her training in potions at a young age, learning the potion that was made for each of the sabbaths. The one for Samhain was her least favorite because it always started off smelling great, but by the end, it smelled like peat and wet dog.

Alyssa grabbed the two ingredients she needed and measured them out. One Thestral scale per person because Thestrals are strong, loyal creatures that only appear when you have seen the death of a person and felt the breath leave their body. The banshee hair was a much tougher ingredient. The wailing woman loomed over everyone as an omen of death, but their hair allowed for the veil between worlds to thin just enough that people on the other side could receive the pomegranates from the earth. Too much, and the veil would split wide open, leading spirits to cross over and become stuck as vengeful, warped ghosts who would have to be destroyed.

As she slid the ingredients into the potion, she stirred rapidly in a counter-clockwise motion until it went from clear to a beautiful silver. The peat scent started to waft up first, causing Alyssa to wrinkle her nose and step back, almost running into her father who let out a soft chuckle.

"One would think you'd get used to the scent," he said before handing her a small wrapped gift. It wasn’t a normal tradition to give gifts on Samhain, but her dad had started giving them to her as a way to connect her with her past. A few years ago, she had received his mother’s gobstone set, and this year, when she opened it, she saw a beautiful hair clip. It was a delicate, intricate piece of silver filigree shaped like a serpent, with tiny emerald green stones for eyes and along its coiled body. The craftsmanship was exquisite, making it look more like a piece of jewelry than a simple hair accessory..

"My mother wore this to her wedding and every day until she died," he explained, taking the clip and sliding it into place in her hair. "Your mother, my cousin, had one just like it. Though, no one knows where it ended up," he said, a tone of annoyance in his voice.

Alyssa knew he didn't like talking about her mother, but felt it was important that she knew who she was and what it meant for her. As a pureblood, it was her job to know her history and carry it on. Magic was always changing, and so was the world, but purebloods were supposed to help people remember where they came from and what they were becoming. So, he told her the history of her family, even if it hurt him sometimes.

"Thanks, Dad, I love it," Alyssa said, before noticing there was a second gift on his desk. The gift was wrapped in the same plain brown paper hers was. The only difference is that it was long and rectangular.

“Who is that for?” She asked, causing her dad to quickly swipe it into his desk.

"No one," he said, turning her around to face the potion. It was starting to fully bubble now, and Alyssa watched as the liquid became more and more solid until it reached the consistency of liquid silver. "Good job, sweetheart." Her dad muttered, placing a feather-soft kiss to her temple just as Professor Sprout came through the door.

Pomona Sprout was a short, plump woman with a round, jolly face. Behind her came two house-elves, each carrying a small tray with food. She quickly wrapped Alyssa up in her arms and gave her a spine-crushing hug. Alyssa squeaked cheerfully as she wrapped her arms around Pomona.

“Ya know you don’t have ta ignore me outside of class. I miss havin’ and extra hand repotting,” She muttered into Alyssa's hair, before turning to her father.

"I’m so proud of you for lettin’ her have guest for the sabbath. Seems like it’s the right thing to do, ya know, with everything," she said, gesturing vaguely to Alyssa, then the rest of the room. Alyssa frowned, wondering what in the world she was talking about, but her father just nodded and quickly escorted Pomona into the main classroom.

Alyssa went to follow but her dad shut the heavy wooden door in her face. She would have just pressed her ear to it to listen, but there was an enchantment that didn't allow sound to pass through it either way. It was for privacy, but Alyssa hated it. So, she grabbed one of the gooey cauldron cakes and took a seat.

By the time she finished her treat, the door opened and her dad stalked in, followed by a bored-looking Ron, an eager Hermione, and a confused Harry. Hermione gave Alyssa a hug as her dad went to check on the potion. He waved his wand, causing the flame to extinguish, before levitating the cauldron to a small table in the corner.

"Ronald already told me some about Samhain, and I read about it in the library, but it seems like it's just Halloween with extra rituals," Hermione said as Alyssa led the others to sit at the table.

"Well, Halloween comes from Samhain. Way back in the time of people like Merlin, Mother Earth endowed her most loyal with magic. For a while, those with magic were seen as heroes, prophets, and leaders. But, it also led to people hating them. Back then, the sabbaths were the eight holidays that everyone celebrated. Each one corresponds to an aspect of the Wheel of the Year, such as death with Samhain. It’s the time when the final harvest has taken place and we come together to remember the year we have had and celebrate our loved ones who have left us," Alyssa explained as a turnip and pomegranate were set before each of them.

"Makes sense. Are we going to carve these?" Hermione asked, raising her turnip.

"Yes, we will be carving them to ward off unwanted spirits," Alyssa said as small carving knives were set in front of everyone.

"I’m gonna make mine look like Percy," Ron said, causing Harry to snicker. Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her knife before putting it back down.

“So-“ She started before Ron cut her off.

"Don’t overthink it. Just do what you’re told," he said, stabbing into the turnip. Hermione glared at him.

"You have no room to talk, Ronald. All you told me was that it was an old holiday some pureblood families celebrated. You called it dumb and old," Hermione said, glancing at Alyssa.

"Some families no longer celebrate the sabbaths, but it’s the job of a pureblood to keep our history alive before it’s too late," Alyssa explained. Harry's face twisted in confusion as he looked at Ron, then at her.

"But, Ron’s a pureblood. Doesn’t that mean he’s supposed to celebrate it?" he asked.

"No," Alyssa said. "It’s up to each family what they do. But, Ron should at least know what they all are," Alyssa said, looking at him. His cheeks and ears started to turn a bright red.

"Come off it, I know what they are. There are just eight, so it’s a lot to remember when you don’t celebrate them," he said.

"I bet Percy knows them all," Alyssa said, smirking.

"That’s because Percy is a…" He paused, glancing at the only adult in the room before continuing. "Is an overachiever," he said.

"Well then, you should carve the turnip to look like yourself because Percy sounds great," Alyssa said, causing everyone to laugh; even her dad did a little.

Everyone finished carving their turnips. Harry had gone for a classic jack-o-lantern with triangle eyes and pointy sharp teeth. Ron, true to his word, tried to make his look like Percy but it ended up more vaguely boyish with curls. It honestly could have been any of the Weasley’s. Alyssa, like Harry, went for traditional focusing on carving dozens of sharp needle-like teeth into its mouth. Then there was Hermione, with her carved turnip that just looked mutilated. As she tried to explain what was eyes and what was teeth the entire group was cackling, leaving Hermione red faced and pouting.

“Now, we eat” Severus said, after clearing away the turnips. With another flick of his wand the enchanted warming trays floated over and landed in the middle of the table. It wasn’t a huge grand feast like they had in the great hall it was a serving of root vegetable soup with lamb, dark rye bread, and cauldron cakes for dessert. It was a meal Alyssa had eaten a lot growing up, especially in the fall. Now though, it felt a little underwhelming.

She watched as the other three started to eat in silence. Were they enjoying it? It’s not like Alyssa made the food herself that was the house elves job, but it still mattered what Harry, Ron and Hermione thought.

“Samhain is the last of the three harvest festivals, correct?” Hermione asked.

“Yes,” Alyssa said.

“So, it celebrates the end of the growing season and that’s why you have this soup?”

“Yes. Samhain is the end of the growing season and a time of reflection. The period between Samhain and Yule are thought of as a hibernation period for mother earth. She goes to sleep and waits till the shortest day of the year, Yule, has passed before she wakes up.”

“What are the pomegranates for?” Harry asked, before Hermione could continue Alyssa’s train of thought.

“The potion. Once we finish eating we get to have a moment of silence where we think of our ancestors and of our happy memories we want them to see into the fruit. The fruit is then dipped in the potion and we burry it.” Alyssa explained.

“Makes sense…” Harry said, going back to his soup. The room fell silent and every seemed to turn inward at the thought of their departed loved ones.

Finally, everyone had finished eating and Severus handed them each the pomegranate.

“And now the ritual,” Alyssa said, excitedly. “Each of us will close our eyes, hold the pomegranate to our chest, and think of the things we did this year that we want our deceased love ones to know about.” She explained.

“What does that mean?” Harry asked, looking at the pomegranate like it was a bomb and a life line all at once. Everyone knew that Harry Potter, the great boy who lived, was an orphan. His parents died to protect him and it was their love that supposedly saved him. Alyssa, had other thoughts, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that right now she was offering him a chance to commune with them in some small way.

“Well, all of my grandparents and my mom are dead,” Alyssa started. Her eyes were focused on the pomegranate now as she spoke. “I made the Slytherin gobstopper team this year and I want them to know that. I think they would be proud, so when I hold the pomegranate, I’m going to think about that.” She explained.

“You can also think of it as a conversation,” Ron said, sheepishly. “My family doesn’t do this but we did, once and Percy told me to imagine I was talking to them.”

The corner of Alyssa’s mouth twerked up as she looked at Ron. “I told you Percy would know what I was talking about,” she teased. Ron scoffed, looking away from her and focusing on Harry.

“Sounds easy enough,” Harry said, shrugging as he closed his eyes and held the fruit to his chest. Alyssa watched for a moment seeing how for once in his life Harry didn’t look lost. It must have been hard for him growing up with out knowing his heritage. Hermione seemed perfectly acclimated to the school but Harry somehow still always looked like a lost puppy. Alyssa felt bad for him, not just because of what her father did, but because there was no way anyone could fix it.

Carefully she closed her eyes and thought about the year she had. At Yule last year she promised herself that she was going to find friends before Samhain and she had. Hermione was Alyssa’s closest friend and that meant that she also got Harry and Ron. Not a bad deal if you asked her. But she still felt like she could be trying harder, doing more. Still, she had friends to tell her grandmother about.

Talking to Eileen and Tobias was always easiest for her. Her mother, Regina, was harder to connect with. At one point she figured it might be because secretly she was still alive and just hiding from her. She couldn’t bare the thought of what she had done and didn’t want to hurt Alyssa any more than she already had. But that wasn’t true. Severus had been there when she died, and he reminded her that sometimes the dead just don’t want to talk back.

Tonight, however, when she finished filling the pomegranate with stories about classes and friendship she felt a soft tug at the back of her mind. It was like a reminder that there was one secret she was hiding from them that they deserved to know. So, she amended her statement about the troll and told them all that she was studying blood magic.

Chapter Text

Alyssa awoke feeling lighter than she had since school started. Samhain always did that to her, especially after unburdening herself of the main secret that she was learning blood magic. As she entered the common room everyone was abuzz with excitement over todays match. She could see Marcus Flint holding court, his disfigured teeth gloating about how they would be victorious over Gryffindor even if they had to resort to unsavory tactics. Girls swooned, boys cheered, and Alyssa felt her stomach drop out.

Today would be Harry’s first match and if Marcus had anything to say that weak first year seeker would be plummeting to the ground. Alyssa clenched her fist and pushed on heading for the great hall, but she was stopped in her tracks by Draco and his two buffoons, Crab and Goyel, blocking her exit.

“Going somewhere, Snape?” Draco asked, his arms crossed over his tiny body. The two of them weren’t much different in height, but Crab and Goyle towered over her giving Draco the advantage here.

“Breakfast,” She said, honestly.

“Better not go around telling Harry Potter what we have planned for him,” Draco said, taking a threatening step towards her. Alyssa looked at him, challenge flashing in her eyes as she stepped up to him as well.

“Or else what?” She asked, as two large rough hands came down on her shoulders. Marcus leaned down so he could whisper in her ear.

“Or we will use the Apis Jinx on you,” He said. Alyssa rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop her body from shivering when he released her. The Apis Jinx caused the target to become covered in bee stings which was bad, but there were worse things that could happen. Still, it was best to play nice with her house so she agreed.

“I won’t tell them anything,” She said, then slid out of the room. She should have gone straight to breakfast but she knew her chest was tightening so she went to the one place she always felt at peace, Salazars Office.

A few years ago, while exploring the castle she found a door she had never seen before. She instantly got excited thinking this was the fabled room of requirements finally showing itself to her, but it wasn’t. The door was plain and behind it sat a large dark wooden desk. The walls were green with silver snake décor scattered across them. A bookcase with books in languages she didn’t know and a few she did rested against one wall while the other looked out into the lake just like the common room. The thing that had gotten her was the ornate wand resting on the desk. She was too young to have a wand let alone be chosen by one but this one called to her in a language only she recognized, parsletongue. When she showed the wand to her dad, he told her he’d keep it safe until she came of age since it was clear Salazar wanted her to have his wand.

Today when she entered the room there was a warm cup of tea with two sugars and a plate of delicious plum pastries waiting for her. She took the tea and pressed against her sternum letting the warmth float through her body and she slowly breathed.

In. One. Two. Three.

Out. One. Two. Three.

Once the tightness in her chest went away she took a small sip of the tea and smiled. She couldn’t help but wonder if Salazar took his tea the same way she had or, was the room enchanted to cater to the heir? Either way, she liked to pretend that Salazar liked his tea this way and that plumb pantries were his favorite breakfast too.

Alyssa spent the next hour relaxing in the room browsing the books on the shelf looking for any about blood magic. She had no luck, but she did manage to find a new book on plants and their magical properties that she hadn’t read yet. So she slipped it into her bag and left to join the rest of the students at the quidditch pitch.

The quidditch pitch towered over the students as they made their way towards it. It loomed like a secondary castle that radiated a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and fear. Alyssa’s entire body shook as she drew closer to it. Usually, she got to sit with the teachers, but today she had to sit with her house. Not because she had been told to, but because she was scared that if she didn’t Marcus would make good on his word.

Each step up to the top of the stands felt like a mile for Alyssa. She gripped onto the banister as she let the wave of students carry her up higher and higher until she found herself sandwiched against the railing with Draco on her left, Pansy on her right, and Crab and Goyle behind her. She gripped the wood, her knuckles turning white as she tried not to look down.

On the pitch the choir, conducted by Flitwick, sang the school alamater, as Hootch took to the field. Every time Alyssa watched quidditch she couldn’t help but think about how Madame Hootch looked like a bird. Her short hair was cropped up and her robes billowed out like wings when she sored to the sky on her broom. Today was no different.

Slytherin and Gryfindoor soared to the skies and waited for the quaffle to be tossed into the air. The world slid into slow motion as Alyssa watched the ball fly up into the sky. Radiant Glasspetal got to the ball first and took off like a rocket, red hair whipping behind her like fire as she flew towards the Slytherin goal. Alyssa felt a surge of anger as she weaved between chasers, and dogged bludgers.

Draco leaned forward screaming at the team to stop her, take the ball, but it was impossible. Radiant was quicker and more agile than the entire Slytherin team and she tossed the ball right into the far-left goal earning them their first goal causing half the stands to erupt into cheers while Alyssa and the rest of them groaned.

Quidditch had never been entertaining for her to watch, but if things stayed like this it was possible that she might enjoy the sport. But, things quickly pitched to sour as Marcus and another chaser rammed Angelina into a wall causing her to tumble out rather unscathed but clearly done for the day.

Oliver Wood caught the next attempt at a goal and passed it off to Katie Bell who, with the help of Radiant and George, secured their second goal. Slytherin was behind, and they were going to stay that way if Marcus didn’t do something drastic like take out Oliver.

Alyssa felt her stomach lurch as a bludger slammed right into Olivers face sending him floating down with his broom under him. Thank merlin. If he had just plummeted Alyssa knew she would have screamed, she would have tried to run to escape her surrounding’s but she couldn’t. She’d be here to the bitter end.

Radiant, however, did scream. Her broom charging towards Marcus’. He took off easily distracting her while Slytherin made three goals. Alyssa took this time to look around, trying to find Harry in all the chaos, and when she did find him, she let out a cry.

High above the pitch Harry was trying to gain control of his broom that was angerly pitching back and forth. Brooms were not supposed to act like that, especially if they were your broom. The group around her looked up and instantly they enveloped into a thunderous chorus of “Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall.”

Everyone’s eyes were on the sky watching as Harry’s boom flipped him to be hanging. Alyssa felt her stomach bottom out and the world around her turned hazy. She was going to faint, but then she heard Lee Jorand cry out that Harry was back on his broom. She swayed, gripping onto the railing and tried her best not to get sick but the plumb pastries and tea had turned sour in her stomach causing her to lean over and puke. Everyone around her scattered, watching in horror as her fear of heights came for her in full force. Her legs shook and her body lowered into a kneeling position as she tried to breath through it.

In. Out. In. Out.

She couldn’t find a better rhythm.

“Harry Potter has caught the snitch!” Lee Jordan cried causing the stands to erupt as Gryffindor stomped their feet and screamed in triumph. It felt like an earth quake, and Alyssa’s body finally gave out. Her eyes closed and she slumped to the floor and fainted.

Chapter Text

Alyssa loved the library but she hated the librarian. The silence around her was deafening in a way that made her want to scratch her eyes out. She had been focusing on her charms lessons trying to pass the time before her next blood magic lesson with Quirrel when a body slid into the seat next to her. She turned and instantly her mood lifted as Hermione Granger sat two large books on the table.

“A bit of light reading?” Alyssa teased, nudging Hermione who smiled.

“I’m looking for information on Nicholas Flamel.” Hermione explained, as she grabbed the book closest to her and started to flip through it.

“I know that name,” Alyssa said, reaching for the other book to flip through it as well. She’d rather be doing anything than charms.

“Well, based on this book he’s an alchemist,” Hermione said. That’s when the lights went off in her head. The sound of her fathers voice droning in her ears as he lamented how alchemy and potions were similar but not the same. How alchemists focused on transmuting elements and how they sought the cure to life’s only assurance, death.

“There’s a small alchemy section but no one ever uses it,” Alyssa said, standing up rather quickly. Her leg knocked into her chair causing it to topple over. Madame Pince’s, the librarian, head snapped in her direction causing her entire face to go hot with embarrassment.

“This way,” Alyssa whispered, peeling away from the table and walking with Hermione to a section of the library that hardly anyone entered. It was thick with dust but no cobwebs. The scent of worn leather and dried ink filled their noses as they looked at the small two shelf section sandwiched between intermediate and advanced potions.

“This isn’t much,” Hermione muttered, leaning in to look at the titles.

“I know there’s more in the restricted section but that’s all I know.” Alyssa said as the courtyard bell chimed signaling it was time for her to head to her lesson. “I have to go,” She said, her voice dropping. “I have a private lesson with Professor Quirrel, maybe I can ask him about it. He was a Ravenclaw so he’s really smart,” Alyssa said, voice picking back up to its excited tone. She wanted to go to her lesson but she also wanted to help Hermione. She had grown really fond of her and it was nice to have a friend who didn’t think you were a traitor.

“That’s a great idea. And, maybe you can ask your dad as well?” She suggested.

“Of course. I’m sure he has plenty to say since he hates alchemy,” Alyssa said, with a chuckle. Hermione gave her a quick hug and then she was on her way to the defense classroom.

When she walked inside the room was shrouded in an unnatural stillness. The torches on the wall flickered nervously, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to whisper her name.

“Professor?” Alyssa called, cautiously moving through the room. She couldn’t get this strange sensation out of her mind. Was she being watched? It felt like there were eyes on her. Eyes that bore into her very soul and drank her in with a thirst that threatened to consume her entire being. She wanted to turn, to run, but she was already on the other side of the room and the door felt like it was miles away.

With a shaky hand she reached up and knocked once on the large wooden door that separated Quirrel's office from the classroom. It was a dull hollow sound that echoed like a low baritone through the room. She heard footsteps, quick and nervous, rush to the door and then it was thrown open. A very disheveled looking Professor Quirrel stood there. He was pale and fidgeting with his turban, a sight Alyssa had come to realize was his default state.

“Oh he- hello, I must have… have gotten lost in research. Please come in, we can start your lesson,” He stammered, moving to let her into the room. The scent of garlic was almost over powering and it pressed against her like a heavy weight until, finally, she was submerged in it.

“So, blood magic is rather tricky,” Quirrell said, starting to busy himself with his desk as he dug through scrolls and books. “There are rules, and things, and and-“ He shuttered, reaching up to grab the turban. His body stumbled sideways as a pained expression crossed his face.

“Professor, are you okay?” She asked, as a quiet muffled sound filled her ears. It slithered to her like a snake crawling across a branch, observing the forest below it.

“Daughter.” She jumped back hearing the parseltongue coming from under his turban. Fear shot through her making her entire body feel like a raw exposed nerve.

“Wh-what did you say?” Alyssa gasped out. Her eyes were on Quirrel who seemed to have calmed down from whatever fit he was having. His eyes turned on her and she saw a look of pure clarity there as he moved towards her. With her heart pounding in her chest she tried to move but her body was frozen. He quickly closed the distance and took her face in his hands.

“Alyssa, are you o-o-okay?” He asked, tone dropping back into its normal cadence as the air became warm again. She was shaking and clenching her fist so tight that little indents from her nails could be seen on her palms.

“I’m fine. I just thought I heard something,” She said, trying her best not to sound insane. She was so sure she heard someone or something call her daughter in a language that was as dead as Salazar himself.

“Maybe we should move the lesson. We might be pushing this to…to…too hard,” Quirrell said. Alyssa couldn’t do anything other than nod as he let go of her.

“Okay…bye then,” Alyssa said, her words coming out stiff and forced as she made her body move. Once the door to his office was closed she felt like she could breathe again. She didn’t get a chance to ask him her question or even learn anything, but she needed to get out of there.

She rushed through his room and down the stairs until she reached the basement. Her home away from home felt like it was caving in on her as she pushed past students milling in the hall. People called after her but she was like a deer who had seen a wolf. It was coming for her and she needed to get somewhere safe.

She slammed into her father’s office, tears now prickling her eyes, causing him to jump. Her father was not a jumpy man but the noise was so loud and so sudden he lost his perfect composure. She saw a flash of annoyance cross his face until he saw the hot tears streaming down her face.

“Alyssa,” he said, rushing towards her and pulling her into a hug. He tried to ask her what was wrong but she couldn’t talk. She couldn’t explain anything to him as each word spilled out a jumbled mess of gasp and sobs until he finally gave up and held her.

She calmed down, after her father gave her a calming draught, and now sat semi catatonic in a chair watching him stir some potion. She wasn’t sure what it was but it did smell nice.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Severus asked, his back still to her. She could hear that his normal calm tone was laced with worry. It wasn’t something she was used to and she instantly felt bad for making him feel this way.

“No but…dad…” She paused watching as he turned to look at her. Severus never wanted children, he had told her that years ago. But, he loved her for everything she was and everything she would become. He shared parts of himself he had kept hidden with her as he tried to guide her into becoming a witch who stood on her own principles. She was his light in a world that was increasingly growing dark, and the question that was about to leave her mouth might extinguish that light forever.

“Yes?” He asked, tone soft.

“Do you think my dad is still alive?” The words hung in the air as if suspended by magic. They filled the space suffocating the two of them with their implications. She could see the way his face twisted into a calm, neutral expression.

“No,” he said, in a tone that told Alyssa he was lying. She felt fear try to grip her but the potion was stronger. All she could do was nod, and stumble back to the common room. When she finally made it she collapsed into one of the chairs that looked out into the lake. Here she would sit until it was finally time to sleep. And when she did sleep it would be a blessed night without dreams.

Chapter Text

Severus had drawn the short straw and was on of the Professors who had been asked to stay at Hogwarts over the winter break. Not every student could go home so some Professors were required to stay to watch the children. So, Alyssa was staying at Hogwarts as well.

Hermione had gone home this morning with the rest of the students. Alyssa sent her with her yule gift and her Christmas gift and gave her instructions to light a candle when she got home to celebrate yule. Hermione was beyond excited and promised she would tell Alyssa all about her experience when she returned.

Now, after eating a delicious dinner in the Great Hall, she was waiting to see if Ron and Harry were going to show for Yule or not. She had wrapped both their gifts with great care and was really hoping to give them to them tonight. But, as her luck would have it Ron Weasley choose to make her life hard by not coming.

“He’s doing stuff with his brothers,” Harry explained, holding a badly wrapped gift in his hands. It was small, but she was shocked he even brought one.

“That’s fine, come on we have a long night ahead of us,” She said leading Harry inside. The room was decorated with a small evergreen tree sitting on one of the desks in the center of the room. Around it were garlands made of tinsel, beautiful green and silver ornaments, candles for light, and a star to top it. Harry eyed the tree suspiciously, especially as her dad came out of his office. There was a tension that filled the air that Alyssa ignored. Today was Yule and whatever was going on between the two of them would not dampen her mood.

“First we’re going to trim the tree,” she said, taking Harry’s gift and setting it with the small pile of other gifts on her dad’s desk.

“Okay, and, Hermione wanted me to ask, why do we do that?” Harry said, clearly not sure how to engage in the tradition or talk about it.

“Well evergreens are a symbol of life. They are always living even in the coldest times, so we honor them by decorating them. And, since Yule is the shortest day of the year we use candles to represent the sun. It used to be believed that wizards were the one’s who kept the sun rotating through the sky and each year during Yule we needed extra help to bring the sun back so everyone decorated their trees with candles.” She explained.

“But that’s not how the sun works,” Harry said, frowning.

“Very astute, Mr. Potter,” Severus said, picking up one of the garlands of tinsel. He started wrapping it around the tree as Alyssa continued.

“It’s true and we never told the muggle’s this, but they still believed it. So, we let them.”

“You talk like there was a time when muggles and wizards knew of each other.” Harry said, eyeing Severus.

“Well there was, but there was also The Great Hunt where muggles tried to kill us even though that would have lead to them dying too. Anyways the point is that yes we used to be out in the open but eventually we had to hide ourselves away to protect the world,” She explained, taking Harrys hand and leading him to the tree. She picked up one of the ornaments and offered it to Harry.

“I’ve never done this before,” Harry said, in a voice that was pure embarrassment. Alyssa turned to him, eyes wide, and then she thrust all the ornaments towards him.

“Well then you need to put all of these on. I can do the candles,” She said. Harry looked bewildered, but followed her lead making sure to place the ornaments where they went. She helped him so the tree wasn’t covered in ornaments on just one side and soon it was starting to look like a real Christmas tree.

Once all the tinsel and ornaments were on the tree, Alyssa took her wand and pointed it at the candles. Carefully she placed each one on the tree before Severus flicked them to life. The room suddenly felt warm and inviting making Alyssa smile. She glanced over to see Harry doing the exact same thing. Severus then placed the star on top of the tree.

“What do we do now?” Harry asked, looking at Alyssa. She had never noticed just how green his eyes were. They sparkled like emeralds full of joy in the candle light. It made him look young and hopeful in a way she hadn’t imagined anyone could ever look.

“Now, we give gifts.” She said, going to the pile and grabbing two of them.

“And why do we do that?” Harry asked taking a seat in one of the many empty desk.

“It was a sign of good faith. Back when the tradition started we had very little during winter so finding something to give someone else was seen as kind and selfless. It also showed a deep respect and love. We continued the tradition because it’s fun but most pureblood families that celebrate give deeply personal gifts for yule and fun one’s for Christmas.” She explained offering Harry his gift.

It wasn’t huge, but he opened it carefully. When his eyes finally landed on what it was he gasped. It was a noise so quiet she would have missed it if she wasn’t watching him with curious eyes. She had spent a lot of time in the pureblood family section of the library researching the Potter family. She learned from reading that they were strong spell casters who specialized in protection magic. She learned that their family crest was a protection sigil, and that it could be worn to grant the wearer just a little bit of umph.

“I…it’s really pretty,” Harry said, looking into the small black box. The pin was made of gold and depicted a lion roaring with a lightning bolt flashing behind it. She had included a small card explaining that this was his family’s crest but she didn’t tell him that it was for protection or even that it was magical.

“Do you want me to put it on you?” Alyssa asked, watching as Harry nodded. There was something shimmering in his eyes that looked like tears, but they didn’t fall. She placed the pin right above where his heart was and gave him a gentle smile. He smiled back and then threw his arms around her neck hugging her tightly. Alyssa went still. She was confused by the affection, but hugging him felt right. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly until the two of them almost couldn’t breath from the force.

Harry let go of her and got up, rushing to grab her gift. He thrust it out to her and smiled. “It’s not as great as this, but I think it’s personal to you,” he said.

When Alyssa opened the rough brown paper, she found a quill inside. It was a long delicate green feather with a perfectly sharp silver nib. As she looked at it, she saw that a snake was creeping it’s way up the nib.

“Harry, I love it!” She exclaimed hugging him again. He laughed, deflecting that he had just given a girl a gift that made her hug him.

“Hagrid helped me pick it out,” he said, once Alyssa had let him go.

“Tell him I said thank you,” Alyssa said, as Severus walked up and offered Harry a small rectangle package. He didn’t say anything just watched as Harry opened it. Inside was a small picture frame with a girl with green eyes and vibrant red hair. She was caught in a moment of laughter that made her eyes sparkle and her lips turn up in one of the brightest smile’s she had ever seen. She was captivating in this photo and Alyssa knew exactly who this was.

“That, Potter, is your mother,” Severus said, before spinning on his heel and walking away. Harry looked after him and Alyssa could see the anger burning in his green eyes.

“Why does he have this?” Harry almost shouted at Alyssa who flinched back. She stumbled over her words, unable to find the explanation in time as Harry grabbed the frame and bolted for the door. She tried to follow him but she knew deep down that it wasn’t worth it. She let him go listening to the echo of the classroom door slamming closed.

Chapter Text

Christmas day had come and gone, and Alyssa was spending time with her father. She had returned Ron's gift, taking the money instead to buy too many sweets. That is why they ended up on a long walk bundled up in thick winter cloaks with warm black wool hats and the titular green and silver Slytherin tie. Seeing her dad dressed in anything besides black always made Alyssa giddy.

He was in the middle of complaining about students sneaking into the restricted section when Alyssa heard the softest chirp. It was like a lost child calling for help in a blizzard.

“Dad, quiet!” Severus turned to look at her like she was out of her mind.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m listening,” she said softly. With careful steps she made her way towards the slope of the hill they were on, following the sound of the chirping until she came across a small brown owl covered in snow and ice. She gasped rushing over and scooping him up in her scarf.

“Dad, we have to take him to Hagrid,” she said, looking at Severus. There was a look of hesitation, but in the end, he agreed, leading her around the other side of the lake and towards the woods. Hagrid’s hut was larger than most classrooms and always had a roaring fire going. Severus knocked, two sharp quick raps with his knuckles as Alyssa continued talking to the little owlet.

“Well if it ain’t Progressor Snape and Alyssa, what can I do for ya?” Hagrid asked when he opened the door. Alyssa could smell warm spices and saw Fang curled up in the corner. The fire was bright and dancing, casting joyous shadows across the hut.

“I found this little guy all alone in the snow,” Alyssa said, holding out the owlet to Hagrid. He narrowed his eyes and leaned down causing the owl to press into her scarf.

“Looks like he’s just cold. Why don’t you carry him till he warms up then you can take him to the owlery,” Hagrid said, winking at her. Alyssa wasn’t much of an animal person; she had learned that from the time she had spent with Hagrid. Fang tolerated her but other animals it was always a hit or miss. When she was seven Hagrid had taken her to the owlery to see a new set of chicks and she almost got her ear bitten off by some fat barn owl. Hagrid had apologized to her for months.

“Yeah, I can do that,” Alyssa said, cradling the owl.

“Thank you, Hagrid,” Severus said, in his usual monotone voice before turning her away to go back down the path. But before they got much further Alyssa turned and looked at Hagrid.

“How’s fluffy doing? You know it must be hard for him inside,” she said. As soon as the words left her mouth the world got colder. Both Hagrid and Severus were looking at Alyssa with faces of grave concern. Severus grabbed her arm and turned her to look at him. She had never seen him look so furious in her life. Not even after the Weasley twins enchanted his door to lock between each student. It had taken him a week to fix that problem and it left Fred and George with a months long detention.

“Alyssa, why were you in that corridor? It is off limits for a reason,” Severus hissed, his grip tightening on her wrist. She tried to pull away but he was stronger than she was.

“I just ended up there,” she said, stumbling through the words. She was not about to tell him the truth, but she also was not about to lie to him either.

“Alyssa, do not ever go back there. It’s dangerous.” He said, finally letting go of her arm. Alyssa had tears in her eyes now, as she turned to Hagrid for some sort of help, but he was just looking at his feet.

“I’m sorry, I just was curious,” she said.

“Curiosity killed the cat, Alyssa. Don’t be the cat.” Each word he said pounded into her chest like a knife. She looked between the two men and then bolted back towards the castle, hot tears falling down her face as she ran. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she was just going.

Hogwarts was her home and the castle was as in tune to her as she was to it. Hallways peeled open for her guiding her back to the common room without her even having to think about it. Once she was in her bed, with the owlet, she curled up into a ball and started to truly cry. The bird nuzzled into her, rubbing its beak against her cheek. She let him and it wasn’t long before she had cried herself to sleep.

Night approached and Alyssa found herself finally waking up, groggy and hungry she slipped into less heavy cloaks and scooped up her bird. They were headed to the kitchen, at least that’s what she thought. For some reason her feet were piloting up and away from the kitchen towards the library. At night, it was easy to sneak around, but she was not a sneaky person, so when she noticed the light from Filch’s lantern she bolted. Hogwarts again rose to meet her request showing her a door she had never seen before. As she reached for the handle it swung in allowing her to duck inside as Filch passed.

“What in Merlin's name are you doing here?” came Ron’s voice. Instantly it graded on her nerves and she whirled around to find it wasn’t just Ron but also Harry. They were standing looking into a large mirror. It was a beautiful mirror and Alyssa found herself drawn towards it. Harry and Ron vanished as she looked at the sight of her standing next to her father. He wore muggle clothing, a pair of nice black jeans and a matching black button up shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow exposing his forearm. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze giving her a clear view of an arm with no dark mark.

“What do you see?” Ron asked, leaning in against her, trying to see what she saw.

“Just me and my dad, why?” She asked, choosing not to elaborate more.

“I see my parents,” Harry said, his voice quiet.

“Yeah and I see myself as head boy and quidditch captain,” Ron added. Alyssa leaned in looking at the mirror until she caught the inscription.

“What could this mean?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It says I show not your face but your heart's desire,” came a gentle voice.

Alyssa’s head turned, looking at the source of the voice. Albus Dumbledore emerged from the shadows wearing ornate robes that reminded Alyssa of a muggle painting from the renaissance. The pattern seemed to shift and move as he moved across the small space to stand in front of the mirror.

Alyssa watched him gaze into it with a look that was neutral. His emotions were never betrayed in his eyes or on his face. In all the time she knew him Dumbledore had never once given himself away. He held all his cards close to his chest and waited, enacting plans in the shadows. She never knew how to feel about him. Most of the time he was kind and doating, but she felt like it came from a place of deep guilt.

“What do you see, professor?” Harry asked, causing Dumbledore to turn and look at all three of them.

“Me, holding a pair of nice woolen socks,” He said. It was such an easy statement that Alyssa believed every word he said.

“Why socks?” She asked, confused. The things the three of them had seen were marvels compared to his so-called desire.

“Every Christmas I ask for them and every Christmas I get books. Besides, when you’re my age you don’t have many things left to desire,” He explained, causing them all to nod. “Now, I must ask the three of you to return to your dormitories. We will be moving this mirror and it would be unwise for any of you to go looking for it,” He said, his voice now stern.

“Yes, Professor,” they all said before scattering over to the door.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Dumbledore said, causing them all to halt. “The halls are clear all the way to your dorms, no need to sneak if you go straight there,” he said before vanishing into the darkness yet again.

Chapter Text

Gryffindor’s five-minute victory against Hufflepuff hung over the castle like a victory cape. The Gryffindor house became even more insufferably boisterous since their win. Many nights, their entire table was caught stomping their feet and whooping out cries of joy that erupted through the great hall like fireworks.

Alyssa and her dad were still at odds, and it had been months. Every time he tried to bring up what happened over the holidays, Alyssa either fled the room or put on a mask of stubborn silence. This, coupled with the boisterous cheer from the Gryffindors, left him in a foul mood that seemed to spread through the school like a deadly disease. It was a tangible gloom that even the most optimistic students felt. Fred and George, as always, were no help, especially when they enchanted a section of the hallway to play a triumphant fanfare every time a Gryffindor walked by, a sound that seemed to physically grate on Snape’s already frayed nerves.

The two competing moods were at constant war with each other, giving every student whiplash as they moved through the castle. The Gryffindor’s unending celebration, a beacon of bright, fiery passion, clashed with the oppressive gloom of the Slytherin dungeons. Students emerging from Snape’s Potions class wore masks of anguish, their faces pale and their shoulders hunched, only to be met by the celebratory din of the corridors and the deafeningly cheerful fanfare.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were avoiding her which felt like salt being rubbed into an already festering wound. Seeing them celebrate the victory and then ignore her in potions class made her want to scream. Now, she was stuck with just her housemates, and she wasn’t very fond of them. One thing she did learn though was that Draco Malfoy studied. For a boy who acted like he was merlin’s gift to wizard kind he could be found, more often than not, hiding in dark parts of the library, nose pressed into a book. These little hidden alcoves promised privacy from prying eyes, and since Draco couldn’t look like he was anything less than perfect, he hid here to learn what he didn’t already know.

"What do you want?" Draco sneered the third time she found him. He was reading their herbology textbook. She knew he was struggling in that class, especially since he kept mixing up the common uses for dandelion and rosemary. It was an honest mistake, but one that would carry over into other areas of his studies, like Potions.

Draco didn’t have a strong knack for Potions either, but he excelled at Charms in a way that made Alyssa feel jealous. Each time he cast a spell, his body moved through the motions with a sort of grace and poise that made Alyssa stare just a little too long. It was beautiful, and probably came from being a Malfoy.

Like many of the oldest pureblood families, the Malfoys possessed a specialized magic that ran like a current through their blood. The Potters had a particular gift for protection spells; the Princes, for Potions; and the Malfoys, words. A whisper, a command, a curse—the tone of their voice could bend a spell to their will. It was due to a distant Veela ancestor, a rare trait that allowed them to infuse their magic with raw emotion. If Draco were to whisper "Alohomora," the door would unlock without a sound, a silent, obedient click. But if he were to scream it, the door would not just open—it would fly from its hinges, propelled by the force of his fury.

"I was wondering if you’d like to study together," Alyssa said, her voice soft in the dusty quiet of the library. She watched a flicker of surprise cross Draco's face, his mind visibly whirling on the offer, weighing his pride against his desperation. He finally gave a short, almost imperceptible nod, gesturing for her to sit.

The place he had chosen was tucked away in the Muggle Studies section, a place where no self-respecting Slytherin would ever be caught. It was a bizarre, yet fitting, choice. Draco and his family were vehemently against Muggle-born witches and wizards, believing that their presence in magical society diluted the very sanctity of magic. Alyssa, on the other hand, felt a pull toward them, believing that magic was a living thing that needed new blood to grow and thrive. The irony of their shared space was palpable, and yet, it was the perfect sanctuary, a place where his usual shadows, Crabbe and Goyle, would never think to look.

"You know you have the properties of dandelion and rosemary backward, right?" she asked quietly, leaning in to look at his notes. Even in his impeccable handwriting, the mistakes were clear.

He recoiled slightly, a sneer automatically forming on his lips, but it faltered as he caught her gaze. The pride was there, but it was overshadowed by a flicker of genuine concern. It was no secret that Herbology and Potions were her strongest subjects, while they were his constant struggle.

"Are you positive?" he asked, his voice low, already flipping through the textbook with an almost panicked urgency. His eyes, usually so cold, were wide as he scanned the pages, a silent admission of his doubt.

"I am," Alyssa confirmed, her tone gentle. "Dandelion is used for stomach aches and rosemary for generalized pain." He didn't respond, simply pulled out his quill and corrected his notes, the tip of the quill scratching furiously against the parchment. For the first time, Alyssa felt a crack in the pristine, confident facade of Draco Malfoy. It felt weird, yet right to be the one to tell him he was wrong.

“How do you keep all the basic plants straight?" he asked, carefully.

Alyssa paused, a small smile playing on her lips as a memory surfaced. She remembered scraping her chin after a clumsy tumble down the stairs, and her father, instead of fussing, had simply brought her a sprig of rosemary. She had protested, but he had insisted she chew on it, the bitter, sharp taste instantly numbing the pain. And then there was the first time she got her period, a miserable day of cramps and discomfort, when he had brewed her a cup of dandelion tea. She still drank it when she was on her period.

"I grew up with it. My dad, he always had a natural cure for everything," she explained.

Draco nodded then looked at her, "Your father seems to be in a bad mood lately," he said, grimacing. It was true, and even the Slytherins were feeling it. His classes had become a nightmare where a single misplaced ingredient would earn you a week's worth of detentions.

"Yeah, it’s partially at me," Alyssa admitted, the words barely a whisper. The casual admission seemed to get Draco's full attention. He turned from his book, his stormy gray eyes locking onto hers. They scanned her face, her hair, the very fabric of her robes, as if trying to read every secret written in her expression before he finally spoke.

“Well, what did you do?” He asked, mouth twitching into a smirk.

“It doesn’t matter what I did. He hurt me. Not like beat me but…he grabbed my arm hard and kind of yelled at me,” she said, her voice tapering off into a whisper. She still felt that fear and anger in her father’s voice as he yelled at her not to be the cat. It was that feeling, that deep fear of his disappointment, that had driven her to the library in the first place. She needed to understand what was so important that he would risk hurting her over it.

“Then he should apologize,” Draco said. This caught Alyssa off guard. Was he really taking her side, or was he just saying what he thought she wanted to hear. Yes, she wanted her dad to apologize but there was a lot of guilt sitting in her chest when she thought about what she had done. She was in the wrong, going to an off-limits area with a great big beast of a dog guarding some magical item.

“Draco, do you know who Nicholas Flamel is?” She asked.

“The deranged wizard who made the Sorcerer Stone?” He asked. Alyssa wasn’t sure so she just nodded along waiting to see what he’d say next. “My father told me that he had created the elixir of immortality and put it inside a rock.” He explained seeing her blank expression. Suddenly the dots were connecting inside her head. Someone wanted that stone for themselves and Alyssa was going to find out who.