0 3 . D i s p u t e
𝕷ily Evans and Severina Snape were great friends.
They had met in Spinner's end, a seedy street in a poor district of Cokerworth, a working-class town in England. Séverine lived there, while Lily lived in the richer parts of Cokerworth.
Lily had brightened Severina's life, teaching her the meaning of love and joy, which her parents had tried so hard to conceal, replacing them with violence and neglect. Severina had assured Lily that she wasn't a monster but a witch, and that she wasn't alone, saving her from the terrible uncertainties her sister had created in her.
Unfortunately, when they returned to Hogwarts, Severina was sorted into Slytherin and Lily into Gryffindor.
The rivalry between the houses was legendary, and the pupils did their utmost to perpetuate this tradition. Despite the hatred of their respective houses and the stares of others, they maintained their friendship.
ᅳ Please, Sev, that Avery is sadistic and likes torturing people!
This didn't stop Lily and Severina from arguing : Lily reproached her for her somewhat dubious company, which she described as intimidating and obsessed with prejudice against Muggle-borns and half-bloods.
Severina didn't dare reply that her Gryffindor friends were no better when it came to bullying and prejudice : the Marauders, despite what they thought was a ''just'' cause, tormented her on a daily basis because of the stereotypes they harboured about Slytherins.
Yet she hadn't martyred anyone and had no problem chatting with Lily, who was a Muggle-born.
ᅳ Sorry ? she snapped. The episode with Kerildee had shaken her.
ᅳ You heard me perfectly well ! He's evil and I don't like you talking to him. He could be a bad influence on you. Lily annoyed.
ᅳ Just a minute, Lily. Let's change the name : this Black guy is sadistic and he likes torturing people ! And here, strangely enough, it's just as true, yet you're talking to him and I've never reproached you for it ! Whereas he's been bothering me for years !
ᅳ But it's not the same thing ! Lily defended herself.
ᅳ Is it ? And would you be able to explain how ? Séverine challenged, crossing her arms. She leaned against a wall in the Hogwarts corridors, raising an eyebrow.
Lily blushed and stammered: ᅳ This. .. . It's not the same thing. It's just... .
ᅳ Just what ? You're right, your cause is more just so you can martyr those who have a different opinion?
ᅳ No... No. . . But you're using black magic!
ᅳ You ? YOU ? YOU ! I remind you that Slytherin is a house for the cunning, the ambitious, not for the black magic adepts or the purebloods! I'm a half-blood ! The Sorting Hat song didn't say "Slytherins, welcome to the self-imbued purebloods future sadistic and detestable black mages !"
Lily remained silent, surprised that Séverine had become so angry. Her friend was rarely furious, always calm, and she never lost her composure, which had become legendary.
ᅳ Hum. Excuse me. Remus Lupin muttered, coughing with an embarrassed air. Séverine recovered an impassive face but her fists were still clenched.
ᅳ What do you want, Lupin ? she asked curtly.
ᅳ Just... . To give Lily her notes back. I couldn't catch up with them because I was in the infirmary, I was ill and Sirius, James and Peter don't takes notes.
Severina gave her an evil look before walking stiffly towards the dungeons. Lily sighed and picked up the bundle of sheets on which fine handwriting with pretty capitals traced the courses of the last few days.
ᅳ Thank you.
Remus, worried by the depressed look on his classmate's face, asked her : ᅳ How are you?
She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.
ᅳ I think I had a fight with Severina. Too much.
Remus didn't know what else to say.
ᅳ You know, Remus, Slytherin is the victim of a lot of prejudice. I'm not saying that this house is innocent and pure, mind you : most of its members are odious characters, whatever Severina ᅳ I know she thinks so too, anyway. But that's not a Slytherin criterion : it's their combination. Some Slytherins are nice ! But we prefer to globalise them, to boil them down to, in her words, "self-important purebloods to be sadistic, hateful black mages".
Lily caught her breath.
ᅳ Even I tend to put them in that box without even knowing them, probably like many, many others. Severina must be suffering.
ᅳ I understand. Remus replied and he realised that those simple words summed up her whole reaction.
She shrugged her shoulders and greeted him.
ᅳ Goodbye.
ᅳ Goodbye Lily.