The platform was packed with people. An odd assortment of children, teens, and parents chattering, owls hooting, and cats winding in and out, but Eileen didn't notice. She was too busy staring at the gleaming sign that said Hogwarts Express.

It was true: the school really existed! She might actually be a real witch. Not that she had doubted it. After what her father had told her and all of the accidental magic over the years, she knew that this day was a long time coming.

But still she took in the sight of the scarlet steam engine, blowing smoke over dozens of heads, with awe and disbelief. It was one thing to hear about and completely another to experience.

Headed for the end of the train, she spotted a compartment nearly empty except a black-haired boy.

"Hello!" she exclaimed when entering, before realizing she had interrupted his eavesdropping of this red-headed family saying good-byes outside. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," she added at his guilty look.

"No, no it's alright! My name's Harry."

"Nice to meet you! Eileen Snape" she responded, smiling sweetly. He returned her smile shyly. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all! Are you a first year as well?"

Eileen put her trunk away and settled into her seat before responding, "Yes! I'm very excited. All of this is still very overwhelming for me. I've been reading a little to find out more about the Wizarding World, but it's not like I can walk into Blackwells or another book store and ask about Hogwarts"

"Oh so you're from a Muggle family?" he asked, as the train started moving.

"Muggle?"

"Oh, I just learned the word recently myself too! A muggle is anyone who isn't magic!"

"That's so interesting! I guess I am. My da knew about magic, and he told me a little about it, but he definitely wasn't a wizard. I never had the chance to ask him more. He, uh... passed away when I was ten."

"Oh I'm sorry," Harry responded, but before he could finish what he was saying a red-headed boy poked his head in.

"Anyone else sitting here? Everywhere else is full."

Eileen and Harry shook their heads. The boy took a seat next to Eileen, stared at Harry and then looked away, pretending he hadn't been looking.

Suddenly, two twins, who looked very similar to the boy sitting next to her, barged in and said "Hey Ron, we're going down to the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there" before turning to look at the rest of the compartment.

"Hello! Not sure if we introduced ourselves earlier, but I'm Fred and this is George and our brother Ron." Fred turned to look at her, and Eileen thought it was best to introduce herself.

"Snape? That's so interesting. Related to Professor Snape, the potions professor, by any chance? You could look alike... same color hair, same nose and facial features too" George asked, inquisitively.

"Although your hair is curly and your skin is much tanner," Fred added.

"No, I don't think so. I'm a muggle," she responded, looking at Harry to see if she had used the word correctly. "I don't know anyone in the magical world."

"Well that's good! Snape's a bit of a git anyways," George responded. "Now, we'll be off. You kids have fun!"

"Bye," the three of them said.

It was quiet for a second before Ron blurted out, "Are you really Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded.

"Are you famous?" Eileen asked, surprised Ron knew who he was.

Ron sputtered, "Famous? He's the most famous of them all! He defeated You-Know-Who when he was just a baby!" Turning back to Harry, he asked "Have you really got a scar?"

Harry pulled back his bangs to show a lightning scar. Ron and Eileen stared.

"Who's You-Know-Who?" Eileen asked.

Ron began explaining about an evil wizard and how Harry had defeated him. Harry explained that he didn't remember much, but Eileen was quite impressed. She noticed however that Harry wasn't enjoying the conversation much and she directed the conversation elsewhere. They began talking about Ron's family (he had so many brothers!) and what it was like to come from the Wizarding world.

As they continued to talk, Eileen seemed content, glad to already have met a couple of people she liked. Whatever Hogwarts was like, she knew it was sure to be better than what she had left behind.

*********

The rest of the train ride had continued smoothly enough. Eileen met two other first years, Neville and Hermione, and had decided to help Neville find his frog. Apparently when she had left, Harry and Ron had had a spat with another boy, Drake Malfay, but it had all worked out by the time they had reached their destination. Once there, a friend of Harry's, Hagrid, had taken them on boats to get a spectacular view of Hogwarts. It was the prettiest sight Eileen had ever seen, and she wished more than anything that her Da was still alive and that she could tell him all about it.

Now, all the first years were just standing together in front of a huge oak door. Eileen surmised that the entrance hall was so big it could have fit the entire orphanage in it. The flaming torches made the high ceilings hard to make out, adding an amazing aura of mystery, which Eileen loved. She was excited to call this school her new home. Each moment seemed better than the last.

Pretty soon, a tall witch in emerald-green robes, Hagrid had called her Professor McGonagall, gave all the first years an introduction about Hogwarts and its four houses. Eileen had already heard a little about the houses from Hermione earlier, and she wasn't really sure which one she wanted to be in. It would be nice to have a friend already wherever she got sorted. Ron's family was entirely in Gryffindor, and he was likely to be in that as well so maybe that was a good place for her. Eileen was extremely anxious, wondering what if they couldn't sort her. Would they send her back? It seemed like all her peers were just as nervous as she was. Hermione was muttering about everything she knew, and it was only making Eileen even more on edge.

Finally Professor McGonagall led the first years through the door. Eileen could hear everyone's shoes across the flagged stone floor, and she took comfort in the fact that whatever was coming next, they would all be facing it together. The new room, the Great Hall, was bigger than anything Eileen imagined. It lit by thousands of candles that were floating, and there seemed to be hundreds of students just sitting at four long tables, staring at all the first years. Eileen kept following the people in front of her until they were standing at the front of the hall. She looked up and couldn't believe the night sky that looked down at her.

Distantly, she heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Eileen wished she knew as much as Hermione did right now. She never liked being caught by surprise or being unprepared as that was how most people got hurt. She knew from experience. Eileen knew the first chance she would get, she'd ask Hermione for the book or go find it in the closest library.

Eileen noticed that Professor McGonagall had put a frayed hat on a stool in front of all the first years. They all observed the hat, and Eileen noticed that all the chatter from the older students had come to a stop. Before she could even blink, the hat twitched and began to sing!

Eileen couldn't follow all the words, but she realized that this hat was the Hogwarts Sorting Hat! The black topper gave quite a spiel about each of the four houses, and as soon as it finished, the entire hall burst into applause.

Ron whispered near her, "So we've just got to try on the hat!"

Eileen zoned out and began to quiver at the thought. She didn't feel like she had any of the characteristics the hat mentioned. She had no clue about she measured up. Before she could dwell on her negative thoughts much longer however, Professor McGonagall began to speak, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

And from there, the Professor called each student one by one. Knowing she wouldn't be called for a while, Eileen began to peruse the hall once more, trying to keep her nervousness at bay. She looked at the High Table where all the Professors sat. There was the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, at the center; the empty seat to his right was most likely for Professor McGonagall. Next were several Professors she didn't know, so she looked to the left of the headmaster. On that side, she saw Professor Hagrid, a professor with a purple turban, a professor with straight thin black hair, and Professor Sinistra, who was smiling at her.

Professor Aurora Sinistra was Eileen's lifesaver. She was the one who came to tell Eileen about Hogwarts, magic, how to get on the platform, and everything else. She came with Eileen to buy her supplies and she even bought Eileen a couple of treats, because Eileen couldn't afford it for herself. Eileen was a scholarship student at Hogwarts; while she had some money from her father, Eileen was not rich and she needed to make her father's money last as long as she could. If she hadn't received financial aid from Hogwarts, Eileen knew that there was no way she could have been here today.

Eileen was very grateful for all the help Professor Sinistra had given her over the past summer, and she hoped that she would get to see a lot of her over the term. Eileen waved and she saw the Professor give a small wave back.

Turning back to the sorting, Eileen took note that Harry and Hermione had both been sorted into Gryffindor. After two Patil twins were sorted, she heard Professor McGonagall begin her name, "Snaap, um mhm," the Professor cleared her throat.

"Snape, Eileen"

Eileen noted that some of the chatter had died down a little, although nowhere near as much as when Harry's name had been called. Eileen didn't give it much thought though as she quickly sat down and waited for Professor McGonagall to put the hat on her head.

Eileen didn't know what to expect, but a voice in her head was the last thing she would've guessed: "Interesting," the voice whispered behind her ear. "A quick and clever mind, some cunning and courage too, and even some loyalty, although you keep that for only those that have earned your trust. You would do well in most these houses, but which will be the best?"

Eileen thought about it and knew she wanted to stay with her friends. Gryffindor please, she thought.

"Gryffindor, eh? Well it's either that or Slytherin, where you'll be sure to find your kin. Are you sure? well then it better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Eileen took off the hat and quickly made her way to the applauding table where Harry and Hermione sat. She sat down next to Hermione and a boy who looked as if he must be another of Ron's older brothers (Hermione introduced him as a prefect named Percy). While waiting for the sorting to finish, Eileen looked up again at the High Table and saw Professor Sinistra smiling widely at her, which gave EIleen some confidence. She also noticed the pale professor with the thin hair was observing her closely with an odd expression on his face. Eileen didn't know what to think of it, and she decided to ask Percy for more information.

"Who's that teacher sitting near Professor Sinistra?" Eileen questioned.

Percy looked up, before responding, "That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions."

"That's like Muggle chemistry," Hermione explained.

Eileen looked up at the table again. This time she noticed that Professor wasn't looking at her anymore, and she decided not to think on it any longer. He had probably just been staring because they had the same last name.

Looking back at the sorting, she wished it would hurry along. She was starving!

*********

Eileen Snape. His mother's name.

Everyone at the table turned and looked at him as if he knew exactly who she was. Well he didn't. But it seemed that Aurora Sinistra did.

He took notice of their interaction: the smiles and waves. Who was this girl?

Severus couldn't take his eyes off her as she was getting sorted, and he almost expected her to get sorted into Slytherin, as did probably most of the Great Hall. When she made her way off towards the Gryffindor table, sitting down next to a bushy-haired girl, Severus was even more intrigued.

Snape wasn't that unusual of a name; it was unlikely that she was related to him. For one, she didn't look anything like his mother. Her hair was filled with waves, and she was tanner. But she could pass for having the Snape eyes, dark hair, and nose, although it wasn't as prominent on her face.

He turned to Aurora and asked, "How do you know Miss Snay, mhm Snape?" He struggled with the word, unaccustomed to stating it aloud in such a context.

Aurora glanced at him with a curious look, "I helped her with her transition to Hogwarts. Quite an extraordinary girl. She already knew all about magic and whatever she didn't know, she quickly picked up!"

Severus internally breathed out a sigh of relief. None of his father's family knew anything about magic, and chances were the majority of them would reject the notion like his father had rejected him.

Professor Quirrell, from his left, asked, "Is she of any relation to you Severus?"

Severus took note that several of the Professors were interested in his answer. "Unlikely. No one on my father's side knows about magic," he projected loudly and clearly. The last thing he needed was for someone to believe he had abandoned his own progeny or that this girl was a nephew or niece or some other crazy notion.