Delyth Snape

The Forbidden Forest

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Dinner in the Great Hall was always loud, filled with the chatter of students, laughter, and the clinking of silverware. But tonight, I barely heard any of it. My mind kept drifting back to my encounter with Professor Lupin earlier that day.

Across from me, Hannah suddenly narrowed her eyes and leaned in, her voice barely audible over the noise of the hall. "Why did that prick ask you to stay behind?" She was still bitter about what had happened during the Boggart lesson, and I couldn't blame her. 

"He walked me to the hospital wing," I answered, stabbing at the food on my plate.

"Well, it's the least he could do," she muttered under her breath.

Cedric and Ernie, who had skipped class that day for a Quidditch strategy meeting, both looked up, confused. "Wait, what happened?" Cedric asked, his face suddenly serious.

Ernie frowned, glancing between us. "Yeah, you were fine this morning."

"There was an accident in class. Nothing too bad, just got knocked over by a red cap Lupin saw and made sure I was okay."

Cedric's expression shifted from confusion to concern almost instantly. "What? Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine, Cedric, really."

"That man should be more careful," he said, his tone filled with irritation. He glanced over at the staff table, his gaze darkening.

The conversation carried on, but I wasn't really listening anymore. My mind drifted again, this time to the Gryffindor table. I spotted Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and the girl with the messy hair—Hermione Granger, I finally remembered. They were huddled together, whispering in that secretive way they always did. What were they talking about? I needed to find a way to speak to them, especially Potter.

I let my eyes wander to the staff table, and that's when I noticed my father. Severus Snape was staring right at me, his head resting in one of his hands, watching me with that stern, unreadable expression he always had. My first instinct was to look away, but this time, I didn't. I met his gaze, refusing to break the silent contest. I wasn't a child anymore, and I wouldn't let him intimidate me. Not after the fight.

"Delyth? Delyth, are you even listening?" Cedric's voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

"Oh, yes," I said, snapping back into the conversation.

But then, something caught my eye. A dark shadow moving beyond the windows, just on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. My heart skipped a beat. It was the dog. That black dog. It was there again, standing just at the tree line, staring right at me. I blinked, and when I looked again, it was gone, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as it had appeared.

Without thinking, I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. "I'll be right back," I muttered to Hannah, barely hearing her response as I hurried toward the doors of the Great Hall.

The moment I stepped outside, the cool night air hit my face. I was determined to find it—whatever it was. That dog. That shadow no one else seemed to notice. 

I ran deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest, my legs aching and my breath coming in ragged gasps, but I couldn't stop. The black dog darted through the trees ahead, always just out of reach, pulling me further away from the castle, from safety, from any sense of reason. I didn't know why I was chasing it, only that I had to. 

The trees blurred as I sprinted faster, the cold night air biting at my skin. My heart pounded in my chest, louder than the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. I was getting closer—I could feel it. 

And then, suddenly, I lost sight of the dog. I slowed, looking around frantically, my breaths coming in sharp bursts.

Where had it gone?

I stumbled into a small clearing, scanning the shadows, but the dog had vanished. My pulse hammered in my ears as I bent over, trying to catch my breath. Maybe I was going mad. What had I been thinking, running into the forest like this? I didn't even know what I was looking for, just chasing shadows.

Then, from the darkness, a voice.

"Seriously, kid? For how long can you run?"

I snapped upright, my heart leaping into my throat. The dog was gone—but in its place, standing not far from me, was a man. A man I recognized immediately from the posters, from the whispers in the halls, from the newspapers.

Sirius Black.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My legs threatened to give out beneath me as I stared at him in disbelief. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. I had to be dreaming—there was no way I was standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, alone, with a murderer.

He was panting, just like I was, leaning against a tree as if the chase had worn him out. He looked up at me, his wild eyes catching the dim light that filtered through the trees.

"What?" he said, half-laughing, half-panting. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I could hardly believe my ears. Sirius Black—the Sirius Black—was standing in front of me, not as a black dog but as a man. I wanted to scream, to run, but my feet were glued to the ground. My body refused to listen to me.

"You... you're—" I stammered, feeling dizzy. "You're Sirius Black..."

His grin was crooked, almost amused. "Yes, yes I am. And you're Snape's kid, aren't you?"

My mind was racing. How did he know who I was? Why was he talking to me like this, so casually? I should have been terrified. I was terrified. This was the man who escaped from Azkaban. The man who was after Harry Potter. The man who was supposed to be dangerous, unhinged, a killer.

And yet, he stood there, talking to me as if we were old friends.

"I..." My voice trembled. "I should... I need to—"

"Run back to the castle?" Sirius interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Scream for help? Go ahead. But you chased me, kid. You came looking for me." He took a step closer, and I instinctively stepped back. "Why?"

I didn't have an answer. I didn't even know why I had chased him. Something inside me had driven me forward without thought or reason. But now that I was here, standing in front of the man everyone feared, I felt like I might faint.

Sirius's expression softened, just for a moment. "You really are Snape's daughter, aren't you?" His tone was strange—half curious.

I could barely process his words. All I could think about was the fact that I was alone, in the dark, with Sirius Black. And no one knew where I was.

"I... I have to go," I whispered, taking another shaky step backward.

Sirius smirked. "You don't look at all like him, thankfully."

His words caught me off guard. It was strange—almost casual, as if he were commenting on the weather. "What?"

"Your father," Sirius clarified, his gaze sharp. "You don't look like him. Not one bit. Thank Merlin for that."
"I... I have to go," I stammered again, my voice barely a whisper.

Sirius's gaze flicked past me, as if he was listening for something, his face darkening for a moment. "You should," he muttered, almost to himself. "Before things get more complicated."

I didn't wait for another word. I turned and ran, faster than I had before, my heart in my throat, my mind reeling. All I knew was that I had to get away. Away from the man who wasn't just a black dog, but Sirius Black—the most wanted man in the wizarding world.

And I had no idea what to do next.

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