Chapter 1

Author's disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter.

Author's note: Warning! This chapter has child abuse and mention of alcahol abuse.

Severus Snape was a wizard who attended a school called Hogwarts. He was the son of Tobias and Eileen Snape. His mother was a pure-blood witch, and his father was what wizards called a muggle. He had no magic. Severus was called a half-blood.

Severus was now sixteen. He had just finished his fifth year at school, and was now home for summer. However, right after he got home, tragedy struck. His mother had been sick for months and couldn't be cured.

So, now it was just Severus and his father. Severus had a brother named Darius, who was three years older and had already moved out. Their father was very abusive and a drunk. He had made their lives and their mother's life a living hell while they were growing up. So, Darius had moved out as soon as he finished school. He now lived in a flat in London. He also had a job as an assistant at the apothocary in Diagon Alley.

Severus wished he could leave his father's house and stay with his brother, but he didn't want to be a burden to him. He also no longer had any reason to stay at his home on Spinner's End. His best friend, Lily Evans, who was a muggleborn witch, with long, firey, red hair, and bright green eyes, and lived next door to him, was no longer speaking to him.

This past year at Hogwarts had been the worst for him. There was a gang of boys who called themselves the Maurders, from the house of Gryffindor, that liked to bully Severus, who was a Slytherin. The leader, James Potter, had a thing for Lily, so he was jealous of Severus' friendship with her.

James, along with his friends, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, were always playing pranks on Severus and bullying him. Their other two friends Remus Lupin and Zechariah Tonks weren't as bad, but they never stopped the other three from tormenting Severus either.

But, earlier that year, Severus had found out a horrifying secret of Remus Lupin. Sirius Black had told Severus if he wanted to know where Remus disappeared to all the time, then he should go to the whomping willow in the school grounds, and use a long stick to press the knot on the trunk and go through the tunnel.

So, Severus did. However, what he saw nearly scared him to death. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. Severus stood frozen in terror. The werewolf lunged at him, but Severus was pulled back through the tunnel by James Potter, before he was attacked.

James threatened him not to tell anybody about what he saw.

Severus had then gone to Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore asked him not to say anything to anybody because that could put Lupin in danger. Severus felt anger towards the headmaster for not punishing his precious Gryffindors for their prank, even though Severus was nearly bitten.

Severus was told the prank was all Black's idea, and that Potter and Lupin hadn't known about it, but Severus didn't believe it, and thought all the maurders were in on it.

Then, towards the end of the year, Severus did something that he would always regret.

It was right after the fifth years had finished their O.W.L. exams. Severus had been out in the grounds looking over his DADA exam paper, when he was attacked by James Potter and Sirius Black.

Lily had stuck up for Severus when James suspended the Slytherin in the air, upside down, using one of Severus' own spells that he invented, against him.

Severus had been angry and embaressed, and he called Lily a mudblood, which was what pure-bloods called muggleborns, because they were born into non-magic families.

Later that night, Severus got Lily to talk to him, but they ended up argueing. She diapproved of the friends Severus started hanging out with. They were all planning on joining the Death Eaters as soon they left school. Severus and Lily had not talked since that night.

Now, Severus was back with his father. Back to being smacked around and treated like dirt. Severus' father, who was a muggle, hated magic, and thought his wife was a freak, and that she had changed their sons into freaks.

One evening, Tobias had gone off on a rant about Severus' mother. Severus lost his temper and yelled, "Don't talk about my mother!"

SMACK!

"Don't talk to my like that, boy!" shouted Tobias. He began punching him, and when Severus was laying on the ground, Tobias began kicking him.

He then had dragged his son outside, and said, "You can go to stay with your worthless brother for all I care. But, you stay out of my house!" Then, he slammed the door.

Severus laid there in a heap, where his father had left him.

Next door, Petunia Evans, Lily's older sister, who heard shouting, looked out the front door and looked around. She saw Severus laying in a heap on his sidewalk.

She gasped when she saw him. She never liked the younger boy. She had been jealous of him and her sister being able to do magic, when she couldn't. She had even sneered at Severus because of the state of his clothes, and because his family was poor, and because of his father, who was the town's drunk. And, She knew how he treated his sons.

Now though, seeing Severus lying there in a heap, covered in bruises and breathing heavily, she felt bad, and thought that nobody deserved to be treated like that.

She knelt down and said, "Snape, are you okay?" She put a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched at the touch, and let out a moan.

She withdrew her hand and stood up. She quickly ran back to her house and yelled for her sister. "Lily! Come quick."

Lily rushed down the stairs and said, "What's the matter, Tuney?"

Petunia dragged her sister outside. Lily gasped when she saw Severus. She knelt down and said, "Oh, Sev! That bloody bastard is going to pay for this."

Petunia ran back inside and called an ambulance, and then called her parents, who had gone out together, and told them what happened.

They came home immediatly. They always thought of Severus as a son, and cared deeply for him, and his brother. They had been close friends with Eileen, because of Lily and Severus.

All four Evans' went to the hospital to see how Severus was.

The doctor said, "Most of his body is covered in cuts and brusies, and he has three broken ribs, a broken arm, and a sprained ankle. But, he should make a full recovery."

Randy and Violet Evans thanked him, and they and their daughters sat around Severus' bed, who was asleep.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Lily, sitting beside him and holding his hand.

"Lily?" he whispered.

"Hey, Sev. How are you feeling?" she said, smiling.

"Lousy," he muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Petunia heard your father yelling, so she looked outside and saw you laying on the ground. So, she got me and then called an ambulance," Lily explained.

Severus gaped at her. "She did? But, she hates me."

"She didn't think you deserved being hurt like this, by your father," Lily scowled, thinking of the brute who did this to her friend.

"Where is she? I suppose I should thank her," he said grudgenly.

"She was here, and so were my parents. They went home but will be back later. I wanted to talk to you alone when you woke up."

Severus gulped and said, "Lily I never meant to call you that name. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm...I'm so sorry, Lily." His voice began to break at the end.

"Hush, Sev," Lily said in a soothing voice. "I'm not mad anymore. I still want to be your friend. But, you have to promise me something."

"Anything," he said quickly. "I'll do anything you ask."

"Promise me you won't continue hanging out with that group of Death Eater-wannabes," she said seriously.

Severus thought for a moment, then said, "All right, Lily. I'll do it for you."

She smiled and said, "Thank you. I just don't want you going down the dark path, and I know they'll find a way to make you."

He nodded. He knew she was right. He began to feel exahusted. He closed his eyes. He felt Lily touch his arm and said, "Get some rest, Sev."

Then, he drifted off.