Via Dolorosa

Chapter 1: To err is human

Disclaimer: I do not own Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter or any of the other characters. That honour solely belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Summary: Something is not right with Snape. He's more withdrawn than he usually is and Dumbledore doesn't know what to do about it. Who should he ask for help?

Warning: This will most likely turn out to be SLASH so if that's not your cuppa, then don't read this. There will also be described depression, self- abuse and other such things. You have been warned!

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Dumbledore was not, contrary to popular belief, all-seeing. He admitted that sometimes there would be something or someone that he overlooked in the big picture, and that had caused more than a few problems in his time. He would also admit, although rather reluctantly, that he tended to overlook certain actions that took place within the walls of Hogwarts. That sometimes, he would unofficially allow certain people to do things that they really shouldn't be allowed to do. One fine example of that would be none other than Harry Potter. More often that Albus cared to think about, he had looked the other way when the boy had acted foolhardily and without the slightest considerations of his actions.

If you ever confronted Albus Dumbledore with his, he would, without doubt, justify his actions with saying that Harry Potter had acted the way a true Gryffindor would and that the boy only had had good intentions with his actions. Besides, nothing terribly bad had ever come out of it. If Harry hadn't acted quickly in his first year, Voldemort would have risen. In his second year he saved Ginny Weasley from a basilisk and again stopped Voldemort, or rather Tom Riddle, and so on it went.

One other example, though not many people were aware of it, would be a second year Ravenclaw whose name shall remain anonymous. The boy had been abused by his parents since his early childhood, and had come to Hogwarts with the hope that someone could help him. Of course, the boy has been too scared and embarrassed to tell anyone about what had happened to him, but the signs were there for anyone to see. For anyone who had cared to look. Albus hadn't looked close enough, and the boy had ended up in St. Mungos with much damage. The Headmaster still blamed himself for that one.

But no matter how much he blamed himself for the child's misfortune, he still didn't see all. For one, Harry Potter was still allowed to get away with too much, there were most likely still abused children among the students and then there was Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts.

Albus had always had a soft spot for Severus, and that would probably explain why the man was allowed to terrorise the students and take away too many points from Gryffindor to justify. It would most likely also be the reason why Albus chose, more or less consciously, to overlook the fact that the Potions Master hardly had eaten a thing for as the past three months. Granted, Snape didn't usually eat a lot, he actually ate very little, but he had all of a sudden almost stopped eating altogether. He also barely got any sleep in a very long time, which was fairly obvious if one were to judge by the dark lines under his eyes. But Albus knew that he had put the man through a lot every week with the request, that Severus should spy on Voldemort and report back every time after he had been summoned to a meeting, and therefore he simply thought it wise to not question Severus' actions.

Perhaps he should have.

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Yes, yes. It's short, I know! There will most likely be a few other short chapters here in the beginning, but they will be longer as the work progresses.

I would be very glad if you'd review;) Pretty please!?!?!