The Boy

by Elinor Gaunt

A prequel to my other poem "The Man". RIP Severus Snape.

You were a boy who was born,

To parents doubting love;

You were a boy who hid,

Whenever the blows rang out;

You were a boy who was shunned,

For your appearance and your gifts;

You were a boy who saw a girl,

And was instantly entranced;

You were a boy who befriended,

One with gifts like your own;

You were a boy who confided,

The truth of your life at home;

You were a boy who hid your talents,

From your father who saw only a freak;

You were a boy who saw a mother,

And saw what Muggles had done to her;

You were a boy on a train,

The bullying already beginning;

You were a boy who was Sorted,

And suddenly your destiny decided;

You were a boy who was ashamed,

Of the blood running through your veins;

You were a boy who worked,

Enjoying your solitary gain of knowledge;

You were a boy who remained her friend,

Even as you began to hate her blood;

You were a boy who shouted in anger,

And never would she forget;

You were a boy rejected,

Left on your own outside;

You were a boy who became a man,

When she fell in love with him.