Author's Note: I was reading over Afterlife and realized how amateur the writing was. It was actually painful to read, so I am going to edit and rewrite the story with the hope of developing the story and characters more, and removing details that have no significance. I deleted the following chapter because I do not want any new readers to be disappointed with the horrible writing of the original version. Happy reading.

Afterlife

Chapter 1

It was almost one o'clock in the morning, yet Winnie Houseman couldn't sleep. Her exhausted feet carried her through the quiet and deserted corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had been nearly almost four months since she had been in the castle, and as she walked, Winnie had flashbacks of the crumbling stones and shattered windows of the night the Dark Lord had been destroyed. Seeing it restored to its grandeur made returning to Hogwarts to complete her final year worth it.

Classes were to start the next day, or rather that morning, and Winnie was more nervous than she had ever been to start classes with the exception of her first year. The classes themselves weren't making her nervous, but the people she was about to face were. She had separated herself from this world for the past four months for the purpose to avoid facing what had happened to many months ago. She already had to face it in her dreams. She wasn't prepared to face it in reality.

She plodded along the moonlit corridors, reveling in the fresh cool air of the stone hallways. The castle was most beautiful at night when it was calm and empty. She loved the feeling of being protected by its strong, thick walls, but no matter how well the walls kept the horrors of the world out, they could do nothing to keep away the fears of her mind.

"Miss Houseman," said a smooth voice imperatively from the darkness. Winnie's heart thumped to a standstill. Of all the people she could meet in these halls, it had to be the one person she did not want to see.

The thin, tall frame of Professor Snape walked out of the gloom ahead of her. Winnie's eyes widened instinctively. The last time she had seen Professor Snape he had been unconscious and near death. Winnie couldn't tell if the snakebite had left a scar because of the darkness, but she was sure it had. Her eyes flicked to his for a moment, and then, to the floor.

"Professor Snape," she acknowledged, her voice shaky of its own accord.

"You are out after curfew, Miss Houseman," he said. Winnie knew it was coming. Snape could suffer dozens of near-death experiences and he would still remain in sarcastic and cruel self. She hadn't changed either, and she would try to explain herself.

"I know, sir. I couldn't sleep and went for a walk. I was just on my way back."

She could feel his cutting gaze, but she still wouldn't look up. "Be that as it may," he said coldly. "You were out after hours, and I believe a detention is a suitable punishment."

Winnie's head snapped up. "But sir," she protested, but stopped at Snape's raised eyebrow. "Yes, sir," she murmured darkly, glaring over Snape's shoulder.

"My office at noon on Saturday, Miss Houseman," he hissed. "Do not be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," she muttered sarcastically, and she started to walk away towards her room. Snape's voice brought her up short, though.

"Miss Houseman, I believe the Ravenclaw dorms are the other way," he said. Winnie glanced back at him over her shoulder and saw him smirking.

"I'm not staying in the dormitories, sir. There wasn't room, so Hermione Granger and I are sharing a room on the fourth floor," she said quickly. She strode away from him before he could reply. Her feet carried her swiftly through the castle, and she didn't slow until she was safely inside the common room of her and Hermione's common room. She sunk onto the sofa, leaning her head back. She closed her eyes and sighed in frustration at her hammering heart. "Damn it," she murmured to the empty room. The year was going to be a lot rougher than she thought.