A Muggle at Hogwarts

Night soon fell and Harry, Ginny and Ron had left for dinner. I stayed back in my room with Hermione to help her unpack her things. As I helped her, I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I had to do. First, I had to talk to Dumbledore about the spell or whatever to send me back home. More likely than not, he will want to talk about the events that took place on Christmas with Bellatrix and Lucius. Then there was Snape and Scarlet Angel to deal with. Finally, there was Draco.

Since Christmas, we haven’t seen much of one another because Pansy was with him all the time now. And the students back at Hogwarts, plus the events of Christmas, things were just getting too complicated. If Death Eaters are after me, then having an intimate relationship with a Death Eater’s son would not be the best thing for me right now.

“We should just end it,” I whispered.

“What was that?” Hermione asked as she turned away from her trunk of clothing.

“Oh—I—I said how are you parents doing?” I quickly stuttered. “A—are they okay? Bellatrix and Lucius—they didn’t hurt your parents too bad, did they?” I then stopped, because that was such a stupid question to ask. “I’m sorry. Despite the degree of their torture, it’s awful nonetheless.”

Hermione shook her head. “No, don’t apologize. It’s a good thing that they had orders. Otherwise, Bellatrix would have—” she stopped.

“You don’t have to say it,” I quickly interrupted. “I—I can guess what she would have done.”

Hermione smiled weakly. “Anyways,” Hermione said changing the subject, “what did you and Harry do while we were gone?”

“Nothing much. Getting attacked on Christmas was probably the highlight of break,” I grinned.

“How did you get the wand anyways?” Hermione wondered. “Did Harry get it for you?”

“No,” I said as I looked at the wand that was lying on my nightstand. I smiled as I said, “Part of a gift from Draco. But Harry got me this necklace,” I smiled as I pulled out the necklace Harry had gotten me and showed it to Hermione. Unfortunately, she had no interest in it.

“Draco?” Hermione said as she cocked an eyebrow. “Draco got you a gift?”

“Y—yeah,” I nodded as I tucked Harry’s necklace back under my shirt. “He took me to the Room of Requirement—”

“He did what?” she exclaimed. “What exactly where you two doing in the Room of Requirement? Why would you even need to go there—or rather why would you two even go there? ALONE for that matter!?”

“Calm down Hermione!” I exclaimed with a slight laughter. “What exactly do you think Draco and I—never mind. That’s not important. NOTHING happened, okay?”

“You mean nothing I have to worry about, you mean?” Hermione corrected.

I sighed. “Hermione.”

Hermione didn’t reply. She walked over to me and sat down on my bed with me and still didn’t say anything at first. But eventually, with a serious look on her face, she asked, “You and Draco—you two hung out a lot, didn’t you?”

“Um…I wouldn’t say we hung out a lot—but we did hang out.”

“Is there,” Hermione paused. “Um…is there something going on between you and Draco?”

“N—no,” I lied. “N—nothing—nothing serious. Just trying to resolve our issues, like Dumbledore asked.”

“I see,” said Hermione. But from the look on her face, I knew she didn’t believe me.

“Anyways,” I said as I looked down at my hand, “we probably won’t be hanging out as much now that school’s starting again. Besides, I don’t think there’s a need for it anymore anyways. We get along fairly decent now.”

Hermione simply looked at me with a sympathetic stare. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words to do so. So instead of waiting for her to think of the words to say, I changed the subject.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something important!” I said, remembering what Bellatrix had said when she attacked Harry and me. “I found out more about that girl in the picture—the one with Snape. Well—I mean, I know her full name now—Scarlet Angel. Apparently, she was friends with Harry’s parents. Lucius and Bellatrix tortured her for information about the Potters’ whereabouts, so I’m assuming it was during the time of the First Wizardry World. Thus meaning she probably did go to Hogwarts with Snape and was probably a part of the original Order of Phoenix.”

“How did you find this out?” Hermione asked.

“Bellatrix mentioned it,” I replied. “Lucius—he killed her. But what I don’t understand is why Snape didn’t do anything about it?”

A puzzled look came upon Hermione’s face. “What do you mean?”

“He was a Death Eater at the time. I don’t understand why he didn’t do anything to stop them—to save Scarlet. The way he acts whenever she’s mentioned makes it seem like he liked her. So, why didn’t he do anything about it?”

“Unfortunately, that’s something we’re not going to ever find out,” Hermione said. “Snape will never tell you what happened.”

“I can always give it a try, though,” I whispered.

Hermione laughed. “And get him to yell at you again? Every time something comes up about her, he always blows up on you. I think it would be wiser to leave the topic alone. Besides, why do you have such a fascination with her?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I really don’t know, to be honest. But the only reason why she even exists is because I’m here. I just want to know what her relevance is—how she ties into everything. I want to know what role she plays, and why would she appear now. So, pure curiosity, I guess?”

“As I said, though,” said Hermione as she stood up and walked back to her packed belongings, “you’re never going to find out. Snape will never tell you.”

“There are ways to find out, though…” I whispered under my breath while glancing at my wand.

“What was that?”

“Um—nothing,” I said with a nervous smile. “I’m actually quite hungry, Hermione. I think I’m going to head downstairs for dinner,” I lied as I grabbed my wand off the nightstand and hurried out of our room.

As usual, the Potions room was dark and quiet. It looked even eerier at night, than it does in during the day. And I have absolutely no idea how Snape was able to spend a majority—if not all—of his time down here.

“Professor Snape, are you here?” I called out. But all I heard was the sound of my voice bouncing off the walls of the empty classroom. “Professor Snape?” I called out once again.

“What do you want, Ms. Bell?” Snape’s annoyed voice answered from within his office.

“I came to talk,” I informed while stepping into his office.

“If you came to talk about what happened on Christmas, I’ll save you the trouble,” Snape said as he looked up at me with a serious look. “Dumbledore will inform you of anything you or Mr. Potter needs to know regarding what happened Christmas. I will not trouble myself with that matter, nor will not talk about Scarlet.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“She has nothing to do with you—”

“Of course she has something to do with me!” I interrupted. “If it weren’t for me being here, in this world, Scarlet Angel would have never been brought up,” I pointed out. “I have read and seen all of the Harry Potter books and movies, and never once was a girl named Scarlet Angel mentioned. Before I arrived, Scarlet Angel never existed.

“I want to know who she is, Professor. There is a reason why she has appeared now, now that I’m here. There’s something for me to find or even learn from—”

“She’s a person!” Snape bellowed. “What you obviously fail to understand that the information I hold about Scarlet is my personal business and has NOTHING to do with you. I advise you to cease this nonsense of yours immediately.”

Hermione was right, he won’t tell me anything. I guess I part of me already knew that. That’s why, I had to do what I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do.

I sighed heavily as I slipped my want out of my pocket. “Forgive me, then.”

Just as Snape turned around, I pointed my wand at him. Before he could say anything, I casted Legilimens.

* * *

Dark fog surrounded me before forming into the courtyard of Hogwarts. It was the scene from the dream I had—the laughing people chanting Snivellus. But as I looked around, there was no one around. Yet the chanting and the laughter continued. Just then, all off the sounds began to fade, and a single voice broke through the laughter.

“Excuse me!” called a familiar voice from behind me.

Suddenly, Scarlet appeared before me, and so did Snape. I felt my heart stop for a moment and the strangest thoughts popped up in my head. Questions like: Why is she talking to me? What does she want? This is some kind of trick, I know it. Is she here to make fun of me as well?

“What? What do you want? To laugh at me as well?” the young Snape snapped coldly.

“No, actually,” Scarlet replied with little hesitation. “I just…” she paused—her bright blue eyes glanced down at the ground for a moment, “wanted to tell you that you have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe…”

Snape looked down at his feet, and angrily, he ripped it off and threw it aside.

“Um…you’re Severus Snape, from Slytherin House correct?” Scarlet asked. “I’m—”

“Scarlet Angel from Gryffindor,” Snape finished. “Potter and Black’s friend.”

She smiled. “I’m also Lily’s friend.”

Snape didn’t say anything for a moment, but during that silence, my heart was racing. It was strange—feeling this picture of pain and joy. Was I feeling how Snape was feeling? Was I feeling what he felt?

“What do you want?” Snape questioned nervously.

“I heard you were brilliant at potions, and so I was wondering if you could help me?” Scarlet asked nervously as she bit the bottom of her lip.

“This is some kind of joke or trick isn’t it?” Snape questioned. “Did Potter and Black put you up to this—“

“No, no you’ve got it wrong!” Scarlet said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. “See? I almost failed Potions last year. “
Snape took the piece of paper and looked at it. A small smirk fell onto his face as he said, “Your grade was dreadful.”

Suddenly, the scenery began to change. Smoke swirled around me before forming a spacious, well-lit potion room. Once again, Snape and Scarlet were together. It looked as if they were working on some kind of potion.

“‘The Half-Blood Prince’?” Scarlet questioned as she looked at the front cover of Snape’s book. “Is that a secret name or something?”

“Don’t look at that!” Snape ordered as he flipped back to the page they were on. “Now, we have to cut this—darn!” Snape shouted as the Sopophorus bean in his hand leaped out.

“I don’t think we can cut that open,” Scarlet laughed as she watched Snape struggle to snatch the bean and cut it.

“The direction says to cut it,” Snape pointed out. “Besides, you’re the one who asked me to help you.”

“Well, we just need to juice, right?” Scarlet asked.

“Yes. That’s why we have to cut—what—what are you doing?” Snape questioned as Scarlet took the snide from his hands and gently nudged him aside. With a smile on her face, she held the Sopophorus bean and gently began to press the side of the knife onto the bean, crushing the shell. She smiled brightly as she held the cracked bean up to Snape.

“There you have it,” she smiled as Snape took it.

She then grabbed a quill and dipped it into the ink. With that, she circled the world cut and drew a line off to the side of the page.

“What are you doing?” Snape bellowed as she wrote new directions in the book. “Those are the instructions!”

“Instructions are only useful when they actually show you how to do something correctly,” Scarlet smirked.

Though all of this was very amusing to watch, this wasn’t what I wanted to know. I wanted to know what happened to Scarlet later in life—what happened to her when Lucius and Bellatrix tortured her. I wanted to know how she had died.

Almost as if something or someone wanted me to know what happened, the Potions room disappeared. A cold, dark dungeon appeared and far in the distance was a large wooden door. Outside the door stood Snape. He was leaning against the wet walls of the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest and head down. As I looked at him, I felt an immense pain in my heart. Tears began to fill my eyes as I crumbled to the ground from the pain.

“Is that what you wanted?” Snape suddenly asked from beside me. I looked up to find Snape—the real Snape—standing beside me. “This is what you wanted to see.”

“Get me out of here,” I begged as I clutched my chest. “It hurts.”

“No,” Snape replied harshly as he saw himself entering the room in the distance. “You wanted to see this, so watch.”

With that, he pulled me off the ground and dragged me towards the door. We entered the torture room where Snape and Scarlet were. She was lying on the floor with cuts all over her body. Her blood, fresh and dried, stained the stone floor.

“Why?” Snape asked.

“I,” Scarlet gasped. “I can’t tell them.”

“They’ll kill you!” he bellowed.

A smile somehow found its way onto Scarlet’s face. “They have a son, you know? His name is Harry. He’s adorable—he’s so tiny.”

“Stop it!” Snape cried as he knelt down beside her. “You’re killing yourself.”

“I rather die than tell them where Lily and James are,” Scarlet said as a tear slipped from her still bright blue eyes. She sobbed a little bit before saying, “Looking into your eyes, I can tell that you still love Lily—”

Suddenly, Scarlet started coughing violently.

“Scarlet,” Snape gasped as he reached out his hand to help her. But he quickly withdrew his hand because his slightest touch made her cry in pain.

Tears starting pouring out of her eyes as she said, “Please Severus, don’t let them get their hands on Harry. Please, promise me you’ll protect him.”

A tear slipped from Snape’s dark brown eyes as he nodded.

“Do me one last thing, okay?” Scarlet weakly begged.

“Anything,” Snape replied.

Scarlet smiled warmly. “Kill me.”

“What?” he gasped.

“I know where James, Lily and Harry are. I can’t risk those bastards knowing where they might be. So kill me, and let this secret die with me.”

“I can—”

“If you have ever loved me, Severus,” Scarlet said firmly, “then kill me. I’m in so much pain,” she sobbed. “It hurts so much. It hurts to breathe—every breath I take is slowly killing me. Please. I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but please…for me…”

Snape stared at Scarlet for a moment. Ever so slowly, he drew his wand from his robe. A smile couldn’t help but form on Scarlet’s face as she closed her eyes.

“Avada Kedavra,” he whispered.

A bright green light shot out of his wand and hit Scarlet. Immediately after casting the spell, Snape’s wand slipped from his hand, and he fell to his knees. He let out silent sobs as he crawled over to Scarlet and placed a soft kiss upon her forehead.

The next thing I knew, Snape was in the company of Bellatrix and Lucius. The three of them were still in the room where Scarlet was tortured. Her limp body lied on the floor where it was earlier.

“You went too far with your torturing, Lucius,” Snape calmly said. There was no evidence of sorrow, pity or regret in his voice.

“One can never go too far,” Bellatrix commented as she stared down at Scarlet’s body with disgust.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucius said without looking at Scarlet’s dead body. “Another piece of garbage.”

* * *

Everything then vanished as Lucius and Bellatrix walked out of the room. Suddenly, I was standing in Snape’s office again.

“Seen enough?” Snape calmly asked as he leaned against his desk.

I didn’t reply. Tears were still streaming down my face.

“Do not involve yourself with Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Bell,” Snape warned. “You must know that the Dark Lord is after you because of the knowledge you hold. If you refuse to tell him what he wants, you will be put through the same torment as Scarlet.” With that, Snape walked over to me and said, “Do not put Draco through the same torment and suffering I have suffered for the last sixteen years.”