The Forgotten Prince

Snape was scribbling quickly on a piece of parchment. Lily's voice kept echoing in his head and telling him that he was hanging out with the wrong people. "I'll show her" he muttered under his breath.

This day was quite possibly in Snape's mind the most humiliating of all. At last Potter had gotten his wish and embarrassed Snape to the point of no return. "Will I ever be able to make amends with her" he thought the pain killing him. At ten o'clock in the evening Snape finally finished his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework carefully labeling all the correct part's of the werewolf and went to sleep.

His dream's were filled with James Potter smirking around the school but most disturbingly Lily Evans was in his arms and telling James what a wonderful, smart, and brave person he was."NO" Snape screamed. He had failed. The Occlumency lessons that his mother had taught him were not working tonight.

Snape's mind once again returned to the memories of his old home in Spinner's End. "Alright Severus we will start our Occlumency lessons tonight". They were standing in the middle of a room that was covered in books. Snape was eyeing his mother with a fearful expression on his face. "I know Sev that at first it will seem difficult and nearly impossible, but with concentration I know you will do well at this". Taking out her wind Eileen pointed it at Snape and said "I will now attempt to penetrate your mind". In an instant Snape was filled with horrific memories from his past. His father Tobias was shouting at him for crying and his mother was on the floor beaten and defeated. The memory changed and he was now nine and for his birthday he had received nothing but a black eye. Tobias was giving him a look of hatred. "NO" Snape screamed and stopped the memories flooding from his head. "Now Sev I want you to try again because I know you can do well at this "Eileen said. "It is the one thing I want to help you with" his mother had a tear slowly moving down her wrinkled face. "Legilemens!" his mother shouted. "Once again one million painful memories flashed before his eyes but this time Snape was prepared. He was able to stop the memories and his mother was disarmed. Eileen gave him a sad but satisfied expression on her face. Snape now could close his mind to enemies.

Snape went back to sleep and remembered what his mother had told him. "In this world Severus there are people that want to see you fail, want to see you suffer, but you must never let them win even if you cannot defeat them physically you must defeat them with your mind." Snape knew what she was talking about having lived with Tobias all these years. He regretted never asking her why she had married him. "Love", he thought to himself that is what it must have been. Snape thought of Lily's bright green eyes and her smiling face. I swear I will never love another person again.

The next morning was the same as usual for Snape. He awoke at half past six in the morning and went home to the great hall to eat breakfast. However on the way down he noticed a few more sniggering and mutterings then he experience everyday walking down these stairs, and that was saying something. Even the portraits seemed to be muttering something along the lines of "see it's that Snivellus kid". When he finally reached the great hall his friend Lucius was waiting for him at the Slytherin table. "Look at this Snape you won't believe it". His father had sent him a brand new broomstick, the Cleansweep 5000, which all the Slytherin table was admiring with jealousy in their eyes. Snape had a greedy expression on his face and went to touch it until Lucius slapped his had away. I wouldn't go touching what isn't yours Snape. To make matters worse Snape turned to the Gryffindor table and saw that Lily Evans was happily talking animatedly with her friends as if nothing had ever happened yesterday.

Snape wanted revenge on James Potter and he wanted it now. He wanted it more than anything and it overshadowed all his thoughts. "That boy always acts out of his personal self centeredness" he thought to himself. "What does he have that I don't have, he's just a stupid Quidditch player with a head that's too large for his shoulders and yet he is always covered with admirers." Snape spat at the thought of that image. On the way down to the Slytherin common room after a full day worth of classes, Snape stumbled upon James Potter and his friends. "Hey James look who it is old Snivellus" Sirius said with a delighted expression on his face. Lupin was looking concerned while Pettigrew looked like he would die from laughter. James however had a bright grin on his face; it was the type of smile that seemed to glow with power. "I would be careful if I were you Potter" Snape said angrily. "What are you going to do to me Snivellus hex me with one of your evil spells" James said with the look of delight once again on his face". Snape didn't give him any warning he slashed the air and a gash appeared on James' side. It was not deep enough, but it was enough for James to give Snape a look of pure loathing. "I will get back at you for this Snape if it's the last thing I do."

Snape endured another miserable summer at his Parents house. Nothing had changed. Tobias would still scream at him and his mother for no reason but he would not let him defeat him anymore. His mother and he still practiced Occlumency when their father was working at the factory. Snape was becoming so good that he good disarm his mother in a matter of seconds. This was his goal. He would not be the crying boy sitting in the corner as people tormented him anymore. He would become a powerful wizard that was feared and admired. Even Lily Evans would not be able to deny his awesome power.

Snape was finally relieved that he would finally be able to return to Hogwarts again after yet another miserable summer. The one good piece of post that he received was that he had achieved an Oustanding on all of his O.W.L.S. He was extremely pleased that he had received an Oustanding in his Defense Aganist the Dark Arts O.W.L. He knew that he had written a foot more than anyone else. When his mother arrived with him to the train station, she took him aside for a moment for a talk. "Severus now that's it is your sixth year at Hogwarts you will be taking some more difficult classes, so I would like you to have my old potions books" Eileen said taking what looked like an ancient book from her robes. Snape looked at it. It was ripped with age and some of the pages looked like they had been chewed and received water damage. "I know it is not much but it is the least that I can do" Eileen gave him one last pat on the back and kissed his forehead. "I know I may have seemed like a terrible mother but I have demons in my past too Severus, one day I hope that I can share them with you when I am stronger" she said looking at Snape. That was the last time Severus would ever see his mother again.

End of Chapter 1