The Potions Master watched the ghost leave shaking his head as he did so. He mentally catalogued all the potions that had been brewed that day in an attempt to ascertain whether he had been exposed to a hallucinogen. He cast revealing spells over his quill and ink even the students’ homework was scanned. He found nothing.

He summoned a house elf and ordered a pot of tea before resuming his marking. Once again he immersed himself in his work and he would have stayed that way if a sharp tongue hadn’t called him out of it, “Severus Augustus Snape,” his head shot up and he was looking at none other than Eileen Prince Snape his mother and she was not happy, “I’m speaking to you young man and you will pay attention,” she scolded.

Severus sat up straight, “Y-yes Mum.”

“Cap your ink then you and I are going on a little trip.”

The professor hurried to do what his mother wanted. Soon he was by her side. Whatever powers were at work enabled her to take a corporeal form and he was shocked when she grasped his hand.

Soon he found himself standing outside a building he knew only too well – the family home on Spinner’s End. It was as he remembered it from when he was a child. His mother had managed to coax a few flowers from the tired soil that were now frozen in the snow. The door and window frames still had some colour to them but the paint was cracked and peeling. Dingy lace curtains could be seen behind the dirty glass panes. There was a holly wreath on the door that Severus and his mother had made after picking the prickly foliage and its inedible fruit.

They passed through the front door and into the dimly lit hall. To the immediate right was the living room, also dimly lit by candles. They were only allowed to use the gas for cooking and heating the hot water for bathing as Mr. Snape refused to pay for more than they absolutely needed. In one corner there stood a ‘tree’. It was a branch off one of the dead trees out the back. They had decorated it with foil milk bottle tops and paper chains made from old newspapers. An angel made from cardboard and paper sat on top. There they found a younger Severus unwrapping the few presents he had received that year. It was mostly clothing that his mother had managed to put away some money for without Snape’s father Tobias finding it.

As they watched Eileen entered the room and walked over to her son. Young Severus stood up and hugged her thanking her for the gifts. “You’re welcome, love. Best get ‘em put away ‘for Toby gets up,” Eileen said gently.

The boy gathered everything and quietly made his way upstairs. He knew better than to wake his father when he had been drinking the night before. Thankfully he made it back to his mother without incident. Mrs. Snape ushered him into the kitchen. There he found a sumptuous breakfast of pancakes topped with ham and melted cheese. He hugged his mother again and hastened to the table. It wasn’t a lot but it was a far cry from the usual porridge.

Mother and son left the scene as Tobias’ heavy footsteps were heard overhead.

Severus found himself standing in the snow outside a gaily lit and wreathed house. His eyes took in the surrounding houses and he noticed they were all decorated. Although it was morning it was still quite dark.