The Secret of Severus Snape

Chapter 9

November slipped into bitterly cold December.
One morning the whole of Hogwarts was covered in a white splendor of snow. Faith, Harry, Ron and Hermione spent their days searching for books about Nicolas Flamel in the library.
But without success.
On the first day of vacation, Hermione said goodbye to the three of them.
She was going home to her parents for the holidays.
She met Faith, Harry and Ron in the Great Hall, where Harry and Ron playing wizard chess and Faith was watching them.
"Ah, you've already packed?" Ron asked Hermione.
When he saw her with her big suitcase. "Yes, in contrast to you."
"Well, I'm not driving." said Ron
"Mom and Dad are already on their way to Romania. To visit my brother Charlie." "Well then you can give Faith and Harry a little hand and do some more research on Nicolas Flamel."
"Hermione, we've gone through every single shelf," Harry said.
"Not in the part where no one is allowed in." she replied. "Have a nice Christmas." She added and walked out of the hall. But on the first few days of vacation, the three of them didn't even think about going to the library to search.
They were just doing too well.
Faith, Harry and the Weasleys (Fred, George and Percy had also stayed at Hogwarts) had the entire common room to themselves.
So they occupied the best armchairs by the fireplace, played Snape Exploded (a card game), or played wizard chess.
On Christmas morning, Faith woke up early to find a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed.
She took the presents down to the common room, where Harry and Ron were also sitting with their presents. "Merry Christmas you two." Faith greeted her.
"Merry Christmas Faith." they said at the same time
"Really good haul this year." Ron said happily.
Faith opened her first gift.
It was from Hermione.
A care set for her broom.
The second gift was candy from Harry and Ron together.
"Thank you both."
Then Faith received a home-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley.
he was in the Gryffindor colors with a lion motif on it.
The next gift was from Professor Dumbledore.
Faith read the card first.

Dear Faith,

Your mother left this in my possession before she died.
It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.

Albus Dumbledore

Faith opened it and out came a silver velvet cloak.
"Wow, that's beautiful." Faith murmured.
"Put it on Faith." said Harry.
Faith pulled him on.
Ron and Harry could hardly stop being amazed.
"Faith your body is invisible" said Harry. "What?" Faith looked down at herself. But there was nothing there.
"It's an invisibility cloak." said Ron, "These are super rare."
Faith's last gift was from her father. There was also a card.

My dear child,

I wish you a Merry Christmas.
The pendant is intended to remind you of your mother.

With love, your Dad.

Faith opened the package.
Inside was a pendant with the letter L. "That's nice." she said in a sad voice. Now it was Harry's turn to unpack.
He also got an invisibility cloak from his dad.
He had also received a card with the same words as Faith.
But written by a different person
They saw that because it was a different font.
After they had all opened their presents, Faith, Harry and the Weasleys went to the great hall for breakfast.
She was beautifully decorated.
Hagrid had put up twelve Christmas trees, which were then decorated by Professor Flitwick.
Since all the students were gone, except Faith, Harry and the Weasleys, the house tables were moved to the side and only one large table stood in the middle. Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were already sitting there. "Ah Merry Christmas," Dumbledore greeted them, beaming with joy, "sit down."
Faith sat in the empty seat next to Snape. "Merry Christmas sir." Faith said to Snape.
"Merry Christmas Mrs Evans," he replied with a smile and briefly patted her back. "Beautiful necklace." he remarked. "Thanks sir ... I got these from my dad." They had breakfast and chatted, opened bangers and just had fun.
All in all, this was Faith's best Christmas. In the afternoon they went outside to have a snowball fight.
Faith, Harry and Ron versus Fred, George and Percy.
In the evening they went back to the large hall, where they ate everything the kitchen had to offer.
Then they chatted for a long time until Faith suddenly fell asleep with her head on the table.
"Should we wake her up?" Harry asked Ron.
He shrugged his axes.
Professor Snape, who had been sitting next to Faith, noticed this and said,
"Let her sleep. I'll take her upstairs."
He stood up and carefully picked Faith up in his arms.
"Would you like me to come with you sir?" Harry asked.
"No need Potter." he replied coolly.
With Faith in his arms, he steps out of the hall up the marble stairs towards the Gryffindor common room.
Once there, he put Faith in her bed, covered her, sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.
He stayed like that for a moment.
He enjoyed the brief moments he had with his daughter.
Then he stood up, gently pushed her hair out of her face and gave her another kiss on the forehead.

Towards the end of the holidays the topic of Nicolas Flamel came up again between Faith, Harry and Ron.
"How about we take the invisibility cloak and sneak into the restricted section?" Faith suggested.
"That's a good idea ... but i'll do it, i don't want anything to happen to you." said Harry.
Faith nodded.
"I'm coming with you." Ron said.
In the evening the time had come.
When Percy, Fred and George went to bed, Harry got his invisibility cloak.
He and Ron disappeared underneath. Faith wished them good luck and then went to bed.
When they arrived in the forbidden section, the two began to search.
But found nothing.
Suddenly they heard footsteps approaching.
"Definitely Filch." Ron whispered.
They both walked out towards the door as quietly as possible.
Ron accidentally knocked over a lantern and it fell to the ground.
They hurried as quickly as they could towards the nearest corridor.
There they suddenly met Snape and Quirrel, who were arguing.
"You don't want me to be your enemy, do you Quirrel?" said Snape's cold voice. "Dddon't knnnow what you mean." stuttered Quirrel.
"Your little bit of mumbo jumbo." said Snape.
But at that moment Filch came.
"Ah, professors. This one was in the forbidden section."
He held up the lantern that Ron knocked over.
"It's still warm. That means one of the students is sneaking around here." Snape and Quirrel walked away quickly. Harry pulled Ron through a door that was ajar.
Inside the room, they took off the invisibility cloak.
They looked around the room.
But there was nothing here.
Except a mirror.
Harry walked towards the mirror and looked at it.
"Ron? - Come here." said he.
"Here in the mirror is my family."
"What?" Ron replied, rushing over. "Stand here." Harry said, pointing to where he should stand.
Ron stood there and also looked in the mirror.
"Wow, I'm head boy and I'm also team captain." said Ron, puzzled.
"Harry, do you think he show us the future?"
"Probably not, my family is dead."
"Then what does he show us?"
"Nothing more and nothing less than a person's deepest desire." said a calm voice behind them.
Harry and Ron spun around.
Albus Dumbledore stood there.
In a sky blue dressing gown.
"Sir, we didn't see you at all.
Please forgive us." said Harry, shocked.
"I don't need an invisibility cloak to make myself invisible Harry." he said in the same calm voice. "I see you have found the Mirror of Erised.
"The mirror has a name?" Ron asked puzzled.
"Yes. As I said, it shows what you want most." The headmaster explained and slowly approached the boys.
"However, he neither gives us knowledge nor shows us the truth.
Many who have stood in front of the mirror have gone mad.
That is why tomorrow he will come to a new place. I ask you not to look for it."
There was a short break.
"Yes, sir." said Harry "We're sorry.
We weren't supposed to be here."
"That's why I suggest you both take the cloak and go back to the common room." Dumbledore winked at them.
Harry and Ron picked up the cloak and headed towards the door.
"Harry, Ron," Dumbledore said when they were at the door.
They both turned to Dumbledore.
"I don't want you to tell anyone about the mirror. Especially not your sister Harry. I don't want her to be tempted to look for it too and look in it and hope that she sees her mother or father in it." Harry nodded and together he and Ron made their way to the common room.