Knowledge is Power

Chapter 4

Each Year Severus Snape and Filius Flitwick had a bet. Whoever of the two got the most students sorted into their house won and the loser had the detentions of both Slytherin and Ravenclaw for the first two weeks of school. They sat together at the staff table, as they did each year, keeping score eagerly during the sorting. No words were exchanged so neither would lose count.

The sorting was almost over when THE name was called. "WestCraven, Magritte."
Severus Snape was aware that his former school friends had a child, but somehow he'd almost forgotten. He tried not to think about Heather and Raislen Westcraven. Remembering painful points in his life only soured his mood more than it already was as a general rule and there were plenty of things to piss him off that were actually happening in the present or looming in the future.

Heather and Raislen just weren't worth it. The past was pointless. As pointless as memories of old friends who'd made him care about them then stabbed him in the back when he didn't live his life the way they felt he should. Most of him wished they hadn't even bothered to befriend him in the first place.

The girl looked enough like both of her parents to rattle him, though, and shake up old memories, not all of which were unpleasant, much to his annoyance. She had Heather's long red hair and tall willowy build with Raislen's long oval face and large green eyes. Like both of her parents she had a love for books which she clearly expressed by reading one through the sorting and Albus's welcome speech. Unlike her parents she wasn't being at all social with anyone around her. In that way, she reminded Severus far more of himself.

It was no surprise to him when she was sorted into Slytherin. The owl on her chair was a bit odd, but it wasn't making trouble, so Severus decided not to either.

"Ravenclaw keeps loosing the brilliant minds to blasted Slytherin," Filius complained half heartedly, drawing Severus's mind sharply back to the present for which he found himself feeling grateful.

"How do you know she's brilliant," he asked, thin lips twitching themselves into a slight dry smile.

Filius nodded at the girl's book.
"That's obvious."

If the small charms professor commented further, Severus didn't notice. Lost in his own thoughts, he stared at the table which had filled itself with food without him noticing.