Chapter 2--Hogwarts
Author: Maryh
Hogwarts was horrible at first, but after awhile, it became merely awful. Improving my skills in magic was the only thing that made it endurable, and at first, I wasn't even sure it was going to do that. I seemed to already know as much as my teachers. When I found out what the older kids were learning, I put up with the boring repetition. And it was true that I didn't have any wand skills to speak of, although I could already brew a potion at OWL level.
The magic was worthwhile. The kids were a disaster. The other half-bloods and the mud-bloods weren't too bad. They either had not grown up around magic at all, or had grown up where it was not out in the open. But the pure-bloods were excruciating. None of my old measures for keeping others at a respectful distance worked - those kids could see it coming a mile away. And they thought it was funny! It was the first time in my life other kids laughed at me to my face, and I had to take it.
The sorting hat put me straight in Slytherin as soon as it touched my head. Mother had told me that's where the kids went who wanted to learn the really powerful magic. Although I was "just" a half-blood, they were impressed by the knowledge of the dark arts I already had from my mother. I ignored my muggle heritage altogether among them, and forestalled unpleasantness by calling myself the "Half-blood Prince." The name "Prince", I was happy to find out, had no small standing in the wizarding world, and I told anyone who dared confront me about my ancestry that a "half-blood Prince beat a pure-blood whatever" any day. That worked very well, especially with Lucius and his cronies.
I never acquired the Slytherin fetish with blood-lines. Yes, I still use "mud-blood" to myself. And the shock value can be useful sometimes. But power is built on reality, not wishful thinking, and blood lines clearly have nothing to do with magical aptitude or skill. Wasn't mud-blood Lily Evans twice as good as pure-blood James Potter? And mud-blood Granger is ten times more powerful than pure-blood Ron Weasley or Neville Longbottom could ever hope to be. And then, of course, there are the Dark Lord and me - both half-blood, and both more powerful than any pure-blood except the Headmaster himself.
I knew I was considered odd at my muggle school, and I was at Hogwarts, as well. Naturally, I was the best student at Hogwarts as I had been at my muggle school, so a few well planned hexes and jinxes soon taught the other students to leave me alone. Except for a few Gryffindors, who styled themselves the "Marauders."
It's curious that Slytherin has the reputation of being the "evil" house, when nobody was ever as casually cruel as Gryffindors. I was perfectly content with a few hexes to stop the bullying and disrespect of other students, and for that, I won the dislike of most of Hogwarts. James Potter would hex people just because he could, for the "fun" of it or to show off, and they still loved him. Every wizard that ever went "bad" came out of Slytherin, the saying goes (not completely correctly) but all the bullies come out of Gryffindor.
I was the ideal target for Potter's gang. Not only was I odd, I was a first class wizard. Ironically, if I had been a less capable wizard, or if I had not always fought back, they would have gotten bored (have you noticed how easily Gryffindors get bored?) and left me alone. By the time I realized this, however, I had also realized how much better my reflexes and skills were than any other wizard. Towards the end, the Marauders could never get the best of me one-on-one, and they didn't even try.
Chapter 1--Home
Author: Maryh
Muggle father, witch mother. How common. How many other cases can I name? The most famous is the Dark Lord himself: muggle Tom Riddle, witch Merope Gaunt. It's also more common among Slytherin witches. And they usually use a potion or spell of some kind.
That's what my mother did. She wanted my father because the wizard they had picked out for her would have lorded it over her, and his status didn't make it worth her while to put up with it. Tobias Snape was a reasonably well off working-class man, and she knew she'd be able to wrap him around her finger. That's the usual reason Slytherin witches go for muggle men.
Mother loved cooking, and she loved potions. I can't remember a time when I didn't help her in the kitchen. Of course, she always had the love potion going, to keep Father bound to her. I still know the ingredients and the procedure by heart. It was when I was one of those hazy ages after three but before you remember things clearly when she told me it was "to make sure Daddy keeps loving me". "What potion do you take to make you love me?" I remember asking. "No potion, no potion at all," she said. "You're magic all by yourself." I was quite pleased with the answer.
Father had a temper. He'd yell at Mother, and usually I would manage not to be there. I can't say that I felt much for Father one way or the other, but I detested his outbursts. It was ridiculous for anyone, especially an adult, to lose control like that, and it was even more disgusting because I knew that Mother could stop him with a flick of her wand hand. Once, Father caught us both in the sitting room. After that, Mother started brewing another potion, and Father's outbursts stopped. I learned that one by heart too.
I don't remember exactly when I found out I was a wizard. The Princes didn't visit often because they didn't approve of my muggle father. And I went to a muggle school until it was time for Hogwarts. It was funny, really. Mother would talk about potions and call us magic, but never Father. When I was very little, I believed her literally. Then I went to muggle school, and found out magic was just pretend. Then I found out that for us, for Mother and me and Grandma and Grandpa Prince, it wasn't. By the time we got the letter from Hogwarts, I already knew.
I knew there were other witches and wizards in the world. But I wasn't particularly interested in meeting them. The Princes were the only ones who ever visited us, although rarely, and it was never pleasant. I imagined that all the other witches and wizards lived among muggles like we did - I couldn't conceive of entire wizarding villages or schools or buildings. That was fine with me. Having magic among those who had none seemed a very satisfactory way to live.
I was the top student in my muggle school, and whenever I had trouble with bullies, Mother would give me something from her cauldron. The other kids soon realized that bad things happened to kids who bothered me, and left me alone. They avoided me, too, which I encouraged - I preferred to be alone. If I actually wanted any muggle companionship, it could be arranged.
It was a bit of a shock learning about Hogwarts when I was ten. Of course, it made perfect sense when Mother told me about it. I should have figured out myself that something like Hogwarts must exist. Magic is not only an inborn ability but a skill that requires training. I suppose I had some idea that Mother would teach me all I needed to know.