A Ward of Hogwart\'s

Notice: This story is rated R for its contents in the first few chapters strictly due to the focus on rape and abuse. There is no rape scene but with the focus on that vile act. I felt that the R rating is justified. This story IS finished and will be posted daily.

Red Writing Hood


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I do own Rebecca and other characters NOT associated with JKR and such. Thank you.


The Ward of Hogwart’s

Chapter One


She’s back


He sat rigidly, staring over his steepled fingertips, watching as the first years trooped up to the platform, their eyes wide as they looked around, slack jawed in wonderment. Each one of them here for a talent they possessed. Talents that this school hoped to build and develop over the next seven years of their residency.

Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master, scowled at them as their eyes fell on him and quickly averted to his colleagues at the head table. Another year to start all over, with more dunderheads who couldn’t stir a proper cauldron if their lives depended on it. And it could. It was his job to teach them. His job to make sure they had the best training possible as they started out on their own, away from their parents. Some for the first time.

He sneered in his usual way as the first years took their place before the head table, each one staring up in awe at the deputy Headmaster as she began calling out their names alphabetically.

“Camille Bouton” Minerva called out.

Severus watched as a little blond girl walked to the stool and took a seat facing away from the teachers. The Deputy Headmistress placed the sorting hat on the young girl’s head and waited as the hat made its calculations, delving into the psyche of the child. The child’s face scrunched up, feeling the unwelcome presence in her mind. Having the hat picking at your consciousness wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. Severus could still feel the intrusion from his own sorting many years ago. Knowing that your most intimate thoughts were being fingered and prodded made him feel towards the girl.

Severus let his eyes leave the timid figure and leaned forward, casting his gaze over the rest of the new arrivals. Scanning the group he couldn’t help but wonder which ones were going to go into his house this year. His house was looking sparse with the downfall of Voldemort. The lack of death eater’s children had left his house with the sounds of echoes in the near empty hallways.

“Hufflepuff!” Called out the sorting hat and the girl jumped down with a huge smile on her face. She sped over to the proper table and took her place amongst the well wishers and congratulations of her new housemates.

Of course, he clapped. He was supposed to.

“Frank Cauldwell.” The name brought forth a rather tall boy who had an unflattering boyish face and no front tooth. Snape chuckled inwardly as the gangly boy perched on the stool. His freckled face grinning out over the others. His chuckle quickly turned into a moan of disappointment when the hat called out.

“Slytherin”

Severus’s voice found a growl as he saw the smirk appear on the boy’s face. “Deceptive…very deceptive…” Snape muttered as the boy moved towards the Slytherin table. He would have to keep his eyes on that one.

As Cauldwell passed the Ravenclaw’s table, Severus saw her sitting silently in her customary way. Her head tilted down in avoidance of meeting anyone’s eyes. Severus frowned as he took in her ragged appearance; she was skilled in using her long dark hair as a shield. A veil to hide the bruises he was sure would be dotting her frail frame, yet again.

It was the same thing every year since her first year at Hogwart’s

He remembered, vividly, her first appearance on the platform only three short years ago. Her eyes darkened by more than just their color as the bruises faded from black and blue to a sickly yellowish color. Those sad eyes were constantly guarded and solemn and she never lifted her gaze from the floor. When her name was called out to be sorted, she never looked up. He remembered watching her limp over and timidly take a seat. He didn’t know it at that time, but she’d had several fractures in her left leg. Old fractures that weren’t seen to and had not healed properly.

Snape watched as Minerva perched the Sorting hat on the small child’s head. Immediately the hat settled down, huffed, and puffed taking its own time in making a conclusion. It appeared to Snape that it was having difficulty on where to place her. Her mind must be a confusing place for the hat to be taking so long. He could tell she was very uncomfortable with all the eyes riveted on her.

Finally, The hat called out in a slightly less confidant tone.

“RAVENCLAW”

He nodded to himself, she wasn’t deigned bad enough for Slytherin, worthy enough for Gryffindor nor mediocre for Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw was probably the best place for her. He watched as she moved stiffly to the proper table and took a seat barely giving a smile to the congratulatory whispers around her.

Snape frowned. He felt something he had never felt before. A very strange feeling that reared at the back of his head.

Could it be…compassion?

He brought his thoughts back to the present, studying her now, as she absentmindedly pushed a long dark lock back around her ear. She was too far away to tell for sure but it appeared that she had another swollen eye and split lip.

He clenched his fist, forcing himself not to thump the table in anger.

“This has gone on far to long.” He leaned over to Albus and muttered with a head tilt in her direction.

Dumbledore’s head turned in her direction and his eyes narrowed slightly. The normal twinkling in his friendly eyes were replaced with a darkening, indicating a trace of anger.

“It is beyond us, Severus, we can’t interfere.”

“Are we to let her get beaten every time we send her back? Next time she may not return.”

“What would you have us do, Severus? It is beyond my power to stop it. Anything outside of these walls are…beyond my reach.”

Severus Snape growled and looked back towards the girl. “It may be beyond your reach, but not mine.”

Dumbledore gave him a side look that said more than he actually put into words. “You have my blessing, if however, not my formal permission.”

Severus smirked while watching Rebecca Robinson eat. “Since when have I needed your permission for things like…this?”

~~~

Rebecca Robinson sat alone, not daring to speak to anyone. Not that anyone ever tried to talk to her anyway, not anymore. The reclusive young girl automatically turned down any attempts anyone had ever made towards friendship. She never felt comfortable around people, especially those in her own age group. She had a hard time trusting anyone.

Actually, she didn’t trust anyone.

When she came to Hogwart’s, it was out of a dire need. A need of her parents to finally be rid of her. In all of her eleven years prior to Hogwart’s, she was constantly told that she was no good. A troublemaker, a no good worthless…girl. All this, of course, according to her dear sweet parents.

Not that she cared. Not anymore, really. It was worth all the beatings from her parents, in the few short months she did see themear,ear, just to be able to get back here. Back to her ‘home’

She looked forward to returning every year. At least here, she wasn’t ‘disciplined’ in their ‘special’ way. Unfortunately, lately her father had tended to punish her in a different way, a way that unsettled her to her very core.

Her left hand unconsciously sought out her right arm. It still hurt a lot. Most of her other pains had faded but her arm still hurt fiercely. Maybe she would come up with another excuse to go see Madame Pomfrey. Something that no oouldould question.

She was running out of excuses and lies.

She sighed and raised her left hand reaching for a slice of fruit but her hand stopped midway when she heard a deep, familiar voice from behind.

“Follow me, Miss Robinson. I believe Madam Pomfrey is waiting for your annual after summer visit.”

She looked up into the dark eyes of Professor Snape and felt her face drain of color.

*THEY KNEW? *