You jumped.......

Spreading your arms or your sides and your legs practically glued together, time seemed to slow. Everything was a blur. Was this what it was like to have an adrenaline rush? Or to be 50 feet from death.

You felt yourself become lighter and fly away, leaving the henchmen to stare at the concrete below.

You seemed to land on the dumpster that was in the ally, it stunk of rotten eggs and year old vomit.

Shortly after, the henchmen got in a circle in the alleyway, confused as to why you had jumped.

You cawed from the dumpster edge and one of the men, this one being slender and partially bald, pointed a gun and as you held up your arms, he shot and you fell into the dumpster, feeling dizzy and taken aback.

"Stupid bird." He muttered.

"Stupid waste of a bullet, you half wit. What's the boss gonna say when we tell him we lost her?"

You felt yourself grow and the pain from the bullet wound dull a bit.

"Let's go, before the cops arrive and we get sent to that mortal prison Azkaban!"

After hearing the men run off, you tried to get yourself out of the foul smelling container only to fail and make your injury hurt more.

Taking in your surroundings inside the metal can, you noticed a few black feathers with your blood on them. Picking one up, you practically cheered.

I'm not dead! It worked! My animagous form didn't fail mid-air!

Right then, you heard footsteps coming towards the alleyway fast, the snow crunching under the persons' feet.

Deciding you didn't want to sleep in a smelly dumpster, you spoke up.

"Help......me....." You croaked, trying to stop the blood from gushing out of your wound.

To your surprise, Professor Snape's head poked over the dumpster and stared down at you.

"What the hell are you doing?" He said harshly. Then he noticed that there were feathers around you and you had been shot. "You have a story to tell I suppose." He gestured to the roofs of the surrounding buildings.

"Yeah, I got lucky, didn't think I'd live. Came down here and the guy shot my arm, fell in here."

Carefully, the potions master lifted you out and carried you into his house, careful to not touch your bleeding arm or let anyone see.

Setting you down on the black couch, he grabbed a rag soaked in water and dabbed your wound.

You took off your heavy coat and finally saw where it was. The bullet had penetrated your right shoulder and had thankfully gone straight through.

"Why were there feathers?"

"I'm an animagous, it's a raven."

This made Snape raise his eyebrows, then, noticing he showed emotion, lowered them again.

"You'll have to take your arm out of your shirt if I'm to tend to it, Miss (l/n)."

Hesitating, you sighed and slowly took your injured arm out of your black collared shirt, untucking it in the process.

Thankfully you had a black tank top on underneath the shirt.

Cleaning the blood from your shoulder, the Professor finally broke the ice "so why are you going around getting shot at for?"

You pressed your eyes shut in pain as he started cleaning with peroxide, the sting almost making you pull your arm away.

You shrugged with your good shoulder and Snape sighed.

"I suppose we'll never know." You could tell that he wasn't buying it but we're glad that he let it slide.

He finished cleaning the wound and he grabbed some bandages and started to wrap the wound.

"I should be going after this, as should you. How come you aren't at Hogwarts right now?"

"I stopped like everyone else to observe the rooftop chase that was going on."

Frowning as he finished, you ripped the right sleeve off of your button up shirt and made a sling, then you buttoned it back up, put on your coat, and set your arm in place.

"I appreciate it, but you shouldn't have gone out of your way to help me, now you're late for teaching your first potions class."

All the Professor did was sneer, walk towards the entrance, and hold open the door.

"You're coming to Hogwarts today, and assisting me in my lessons. Dumbledore already approved."

"Fine." You sighed and sulked out the door.

You heard Snape close and lock the door, then he was walking beside you.

"Impossible girl." Snape muttered after several minutes of walking.

The rest of the way, the two of you were silent, unsure of how to start a decent conversation.

Once you arrived, the both of you set off for the dungeons before the first class ended.

"Look who's finally decided to show up. He's brought an assistant as well." Dumbledore said sarcastically as the Professor and you entered the potions classroom.

"I'll be taking over now, thank you very much." Snape snapped as he sauntered to the front of the room, pointing you to a chair beside his desk to wait for instructions.

After showing some first years how to put the ingredients in their cauldrons, he waved you over.

"You summoned me, Professor?" You said with a hidden smirk.

Giving you a stern look, he chastised you for trying to be smart (not that you weren't) "Now, go around the room and make sure they did it right."

Strolling about the room, you would look over the potions bubbling in the cauldrons and give the students advice on how to make it better, or you would give them a simple smile of encouragement.

~dinner~

You sat by Asher and Bosco at the front of the Hufflepuff table and they immediately gawked at the bloody hole in your coat.

Calming them, you told them that it was from falling on your shoulder and there was a hole because the fabric was ripped. This assured them and they continued eating.

~after~

You waved goodbye to Asher and Bosco before they went into the Hufflepuff common room. On your way out, someone put a hand on your injured shoulder and spun you around, making you wince and hold your hand over the wound.

"Dumbledore has requested us in his office, now."

Snape. Why were you not surprised.

The two of you walked up the many stairs to the entrance with the Griffon. Snape muttered the password, and you climbed the stairs and entered the office.

There were many paintings and books all over the walls and a desk and three chairs right in the middle with a window above, as well as a fireplace in the corner. At the desk, Dumbledore waited.

"(F/n), Severus, please, sit down."

Making yourself comfortable in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, Snape did the same.

"Do you have any idea as to why you are here?" The old headmaster asked.

You were the one to speak up first "no, sir, I don't."

He chuckled "you don't have to worry, neither of you is in trouble. I wanted to ask Miss (l/n) if she would like a job here."

Your eyes widened and you tilted your head slightly.

"I'm sorry, sir, did I hear you correctly?" Professor Snape asked. "She is only 11!"

"She has abilities that most here have yet to achieve. And it would be an honor. Now, Severus, the reason why I called you is for a recommendation."

"What kind of recommendation?" Snape pressed.

"As to what she would be good at, of course."

Meanwhile, you sat in shock with your mouth now ajar.

"Well I haven't got a clue. How am I supposed to know?"

Dumbledore pulled out today's Daily Phrophet and held it up, showing on the front page a moving picture of you jumping from roof to roof avoiding the henchmen that were well behind.

"How about security? She clearly has the physical abilities to keep things in order, and she certainitly knows how to handle herself."

"Won't the Ministry object to this?" You finally piped in.

"I'll take care of it." You could've sworn you'd seen a glint in his eye "if you accept that is."

"Yes, of course, it will be an honor working here, sir." You shook his hand in thanks. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow, I'll have an owl send over your uniform."

"Thank you again, sir, I won't let you down."

Seeing this as the time to leave, you and Severus stood and left the office.