A tall, lanky man with greasy, jet black hair and a large nose recieved an owl. He carefully removed and read the note attached to it's leg. The scrawlly handwriting and staining on the paper gave away whom it was from. It read:

I'm bringing the brat.

Serverus Snape waved his wand and a door appeared in the middle of the back wall of his humble home. He opened it to check the room inside. It was a very plain bedroom, containing only the very basics... a short bedside table and candle next to a small bed. There was also a tiny cabinet for a few items of clothing and a tall but narrow bookcase, lined with textbooks. No storybooks or sign of toys anywhere. He didn't expect the child to be at his home in Spinners End for too long. Just long enough to get them ready for Hogwarts and what laid ahead for them. Shortly after he'd recieved warning, there was a quiet knock on the door. He carefully opened it to the cold, black night; letting cold air rush into his small abode and chilling him to the bone. He quickly forced a cloaked figure over the threshold then slammed the door behind him.

"I could of used more notice than that." Snape told the figure coldly. "Where is she?"

"I told 'er to come down the road in a bit af'er the all clear was given." A voice rasped. "It's freezin' out there, you know!"

"You left the child outside? Are you mad! Summon her right now! She could freeze to death out there..." He said in a stern voice. Snape rather loathed the idea of his investment going to waste.

"Are you sure I couldn't just 'ave a - " The other began...

"Now or get nothing for your trouble."

"A'right, a'right...!" The person responded. He poked his wand out the window and sent off a small green coloured orb into the night. As the two men waited, Snape put his kettle on the stove and used his wand to magic up two teas and a cup of coco for their third guest. After nearly ten minutes, there was another knock, much quieter than the first and lower down on the door. Snape once again opened the door to see a second, much shorter cloaked figure. The first cloaked person slugged down their tea. "Bes' be off then! So long, Snape 'n' you too." He went to pet the other person's head but it seemed more like he was clumsily hitting them then left without another word.

"Here," Snape handed the smaller person a mug, "I made you some coco. You must be very cold." They responded by wrapping their small hands tightly around the mug of coco and snuffling. Unlike the first person, who'd worn a basic black cloak, the smaller person had on a light emerald green cloak. "Take off your cloak and I'll get the fire going." Snape asked in a much gentler tone than he'd used for the other visitor he'd had. As they pulled down the hood, their features and gender become apparent. She was a very plain looking girl with a freckled face and shocking green eyes that stood out against her ash white skin. Her golden blond hair looked as if it might be matted in places as she was obviously not well groomed and the girl seemed rather neglected in general. She carefully laid her cloak over the back of the chair she was sat on. "When I last spoke with Professor Dumbledore he said you would definately be welcome at Hogwarts."

"...What's Hogwarts like?" She asked after a pause.

"It's an impressive building, centuries old and a place with many secrets."

"What kind of secrets?"

"It's hard to say. There are many legends surrounding Hogwarts and it's grounds."

"Uncle Snape..."

"What is it?"

"I'm tired."

"Your room is through there." He pointed towards the door he'd resently unconcealed. "Goodnight, Mina."

"Goodnight, Uncle Snape." She walked into the room, shutting the door behind her and started to change from her rather grotty looking rags into an equally filthy, moth-eaten night dress. She sat down on the bed uncomfortbly. Mina wasn't used to, what seemed to her, to be such luxury. She pulled the covers out from under her self then bundled up into a ball, nuzzling her face into the pillow and not understanding why she felt like there was something missing. The feeling Mina missed was like a toy you lost long ago but never fogotten how soft it's fur was against your face or how it was like a big, squishy extra pillow when you slept at night. Being eleven and having never known a mother's love or a father's pride was something that had broken the young girl, turning her into a dull, empty person. Tossed around by people whom neither cared for nor respected her, always on the move but never knowing there was another way to live. Mina had no friends, she'd simply lived with wizards who'd taught her about magic but nothing of humanity.

She slept restlessly that night, her dreams haunted by a blinding flash of green light... then nothing... that's all she could recall of her earliest memory. For some strange reason, out of this, she had developed a fondness for the colour.

---

A hand rapped sharply on the bedroom door and Mina awoke with a start. Snape's voice came through clearly; "Mina. Get dressed. Your letter has arrived." She quickly threw on the clothes she had been wearing for some time now and entered the meger living area. It had seemed a lot cozier that dark, cold night but the room had developed a rather stark, unwelcoming feel with day break. She eyed the envelope which had been addressed to her.

Mina Finn.

She carefully slipped her skinny fingers under the seal and stared at the carefully penned, emerald letters. She inhailed and sighed strangely. It was nice to smell well kept ink on resently made paper. Better than the moldy smells her nose had become acustomed to. The small child read the letter with little interest and put it down. Mina was nervous about starting at Hogwarts. She'd heard it held hundreds of students. Having only met less than a dozen people in her life so far, Mina was less than eager to suddenly be left in a new place surrounded by strangers.

The girl jumped as there was a sudden, loud rapping on Serverus' front door made by a large, blunt object.