Not All Hogwarts Stories Are Happy...

Chapter One

"Come here."

Run.

"Now."

Do it. Just run.

"Don't make me go over there."

Damn it. Run!

I walk over to where he is standing to bow my head in fear.

"Does this look like it's clean?"

I look at where he's pointing. It was his TV. His precious TV.

I nod and he smacks my head, hard enough I see stars, "No. It's not clean. Now clean it, before they get here."

I hurry to the closet where he keeps the cleaning supplies. I grab electronic wipes and Clorox wipes, the ones he says I have to use.

Scrubbing it down, I look for anything I might have missed, but I don't see anything, so I finish fast.

Putting the supplies away, I scramble up to my attic room, so he won't remember to check it off. Just in time, I hear his friends stumble in, clearly drunk.

I need to go. Drunk blows always hurt worse.

I slowly open the window after closing the door, before climbing outside and shimmying down the storm drains. Landing quietly on the grass, I head to the only place I can go where he won't find me.

The forest is where I usually go to keep my peace, drowning in my thoughts, alone and afraid.

I've always had this theory, that my demons are the only one who will comfort me in my time of sadness. Yeah, I guess it's pretty dark thinking, but it's my only explanation to why no one wants to be around me. So, basically, this is me blaming my demons for my problems, which in turn, are my demons.

I'm only barely eleven, but sometimes, I wish I were sixteen, so I could move out of this town and go where someone wants me.

A branch breaks behind me and I freeze. It's him. I didn't clean the TV good enough. He's going to kill me this time for sure. I tense up, preparing for a blow.

Instead, a soft hand touches my shoulder. I flinch of course and huddle closer to my chest. I hold my breath, waiting for the blow that would never come.

"Miss, are you okay?" A warm voice asked.

I flip around, hands out, "Who are you?"

I take a look at him, tall, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He regards me, "I am Professor Severus Snape. Are you Ariel Black?"

I nod slowly, watching his every move. "How do you know my name?"

"I've come for you." Damn it.

"Did he send you?" I asked, slowly crawling backward.

"Depends on the 'he' you're talking about. If you're talking about your father, then no. He didn't."

I scowled, "He's not my father." I paused, "If he didn't send you, then who did?"

The man, Severus, held out a hand, "I come from a school. A very special school for special children."

I narrowed my eyes, "So, an insane asylum?"

He chuckled, "No. A different special."

I shook his hand fast and pulled my hand away, "What kind of special?"

Thinking for a moment, he said, "The best kind of special there is."

"Then why am I invited to this school?" I was serious. Why would anyone want me? I was... well... unwanted.

"Because you are special."

"How would you know?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Your parents were just like you."

I was silent for a minute. "You knew my parents?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why my dad left my mum?" I sort of did, but I wanted to see if he did.

He looked at me, "Yes," and when I stared at him to continue, he went on, "He left to help protect some people from a bad person."

We were silent for a while, I turned to him, "You know, I've never actually been to a school before."

"Really? And why not?" He said, concerned.

"Mum died when I was four, and he never got around to sending me." I didn't really like talking about my mum. It made me miss her too much.

He stared hard at me, "Well, do you want to come with me?"

I nodded, "As long as you help me. I might be really behind."

He smiled and nodded, "That's okay. Do you want to leave right now, or when it starts?"

"Now," I said immediately.

He raised his eyebrows, "Okay, shall we go get your things?"

I nodded, "I only need one thing."

"Any clothes?"

I blushed, "No, actually, this is my only set. And it was from a charity bin."

Severus gave me a thin smile, "It's okay. We can get you new things when we've left."

I slowly nodded, "We have to be real quiet walking in. It's poker night."

"You know," He cleared his throat, "I can make us invisible."

I stared at him, "Okay. But no noise."

We walked back, and I considered what I was doing. I was trusting this man I had only just met with my life, which, if we were caught, I'd actually be dead.

"Is that your house?" His voice startled me out of my thoughts, making my eyes snap up to that grey house I've hated my whole life.

"Yeah."

"Are you ready?" he asked, "For the spell?"

I nodded and he pulled out a long wooden stick, presumably his wand. He cleared his throat, "Invisio."

A cold feeling went over me and I shuddered, "Was that it?"

"Yes." I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there.

"Okay." I said, after a moment, "Let's go."

I led the way, slowly opening the door for him. I tiptoed to the stairs, listening to the drunk laughter in the kitchen. Out of the corner of my mouth, I whispered, "The bottom one creaks."

Skipping that one, I slowly made my way up the stairs, hearing Severus' quiet breathing behind me. I opened the door to my small room and tiptoed inside to the small chest I kept under my bed.

Unfastening the lock, I opened the chest and froze when it creaked open. The blood running out of my face, I heard the laughter quiet. I grabbed my treasure out of the box and stood up fast, face to face with the man I hated most.

"Where are you, you little shit!" He called, looking around the room wildly. He was so drunk and I could feel the fear take over my body. I froze, unable to move. "Come out! I know you're here!"

He turned in my direction, about to slam into me in his search. I felt a hand pull my collar from behind, taking me away from the drunk monster. Severus was now visible to me, and I realized that the spell had worn off.

He stood in front of me as the stumbling man turned surprised at Severus and I.

"Who the hell are you?" He managed to slur out. He was so drunk his eyes were nearly crossed.

"I am Professor Severus Snape, of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am removing Miss Ariel Black from your care. I give my condolences for the loss you might feel after she is gone, but it seems you haven't done a good job of taking care of her."

After he was done speaking, he took my hand, whispering, "Ready?"

I nodded, still shaking from the fear I had just felt seconds before.

With a wave of his wand, we were sent spinning away into some sort of portal.