Blood of my blood (Severus Snape & daughter)

4- Blood purity

October 31, 1992

"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
FEAR, ENEMIES OF THE HEIR"

Lily took a step back, frightened by what looked like blood, as her eyes kept staring at the threatening message. Astoria held her hand, unable to say anything.

In front of them, Draco Malfoy had shouted something, but Lily couldn't understand him. Panic had gripped her stomach, and she felt like an invisible hand was squeezing her throat.

The professors and Filch had just arrived, and the janitor was crying loudly for his cat. It seemed like he was blaming one of the students, but Lily couldn't see who it was.

Dumbledore suggested continuing the interrogation elsewhere, and Professor Lockhart offered his office. Before following them, Professor Snape approached the Slytherin students.

"Go back to the Common Room and don't come out until I tell you," he ordered. His eyes briefly landed on Lily and Astoria, but he said nothing. The prefects began to mobilize the younger students, taking them back to the dungeons.

***

"I don't understand, what happened?"

"Mrs. Norris is dead."

"No, my brother says she's petrified."

"Who could have done something like that?"

"It was Potter, didn't you see him?"

"Who is Potter?" Lily asked Daphne, in a low voice. Her friend looked at her in disbelief.

"Harry Potter, don't you know who he is?" Lily shook her head. "He's incredibly famous, he defeated You-Know-Who when he was a baby."

"Who is I-Know-Who?"

Daphne opened her eyes and mouth, stunned, until she remembered that Lily had grown up in a muggle orphanage and knew nothing about the Wizarding War and its consequences.

"This is going to take a while to explain," she sighed. "Why don't we go to the library tomorrow? There are some Modern History books that will help you understand it better."

Lily nodded, unconvinced. She could see her friend's discomfort and knew that it was not an easy topic to explain. Next to the fireplace, Draco Malfoy was surrounded by a group of students, who listened to him with smiles and nods, drinking in his words.

"And now that the heir of Slytherin has returned, we will get rid of all the half-bloods and mudbloods. Hogwarts will finally be clean of that scum."

"How are we going to know who he is?" Blaise asked. "He could be anyone."

"That doesn't matter, if he's here, he'll be on our side," for a second, his gray eyes rested on Lily, and Draco grimaced evilly. "And I'm sure he will appreciate us helping him on his mission."

Lily couldn't stop a shiver from running down her spine, and she looked away. For the first time since she had arrived at Hogwarts, she was afraid.

"Don't pay attention to him, he's an idiot," Daphne told her, taking her hand. "Nothing is going to happen to us, Professor Dumbledore will protect us."

But Lily wasn't so sure. Why would the director be interested in her? She was nobody...

***

November 7, 1992

Severus patrolled the corridors, enjoying a break between classes, while he thought about what had happened.