Snape's Secret; Lucy goes to Hogwarts

Chapter 7

3 days later

Lucy slipped out of bed and quietly opened the door. She silently snuck down the stairs and out the dorm door. The stone steps were cold on her bare feet but she hurried on anyways.

The older students had told the young first years about the Whomping Willow. It was said that it could move and they also said that there were centaurs in the forest. Oh, how she yearned for these things to be true, just like in Narnia.

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Severus watched as Lucy hurried down the stairs after curfew, against school rules. He soundlessly followed after her, he wanted to see what she was up to. Maybe it would answer his question about her. Was she, or wasn't she...?

The young girl ran toward the Whomping Willow, and paused. The full moon illuminated the tree. The scene was breath taking, but that didn't make the tree any less lethal. Lucy took a few steps toward the tree.

Snape drew his wand, ready to intervene at any moment, when she stopped again. She curtsied to the tree and seemed to be speaking to it. Snape moved closer, but she was finished talking when he crept close enough to overhear her.

Lucy stepped toward the tree and began to dance. The Whomping Willow twitched and just as Snape was about to cast a spell, the tree began to act as if it too, were dancing. Lucy smiled and laughed as she and the tree danced.

What a peculiar child, Snape thought. A howl in the distance caused Lucy to freeze. A werewolf howl, Snape knew. Snape's wand was at the ready yet again. The tree's branches shifted as to insert itself in between Lucy and the thicket of trees. As if it was protecting her from the howl.

Lucy curtsied to the tree, which caused it to bow back. Then she headed back to the castle.

Once she was a good distance away Snape emerged from his hiding spot, quite perplexed. He glanced back at the woods before he too headed back to the castle.