Severus Snape. Harry Potter. Tom Marvolo Riddle.
The three abandoned boys.
One died for love.
One for power.
One lived till the end of his life.
All three of them were abused.
One swore revenge that ultimately killed him.
One gave up hope and turned bitter.
One hoped for better times and dreamt of his parent's love.
All three found refuge in Hogwarts.
One found the power he yearned for.
One lost all that he had.
One gained all that he wanted.
All three had an inclination for the dark arts.
One thrived in it.
The other indulged in them and lost all.
The last, horrified by it, did all he could to fight against it.
All three were one of the most powerful wizards to have ever existed.
One fed on the fear he instilled.
Another couldn't bear to see his magic after what it had cost him.
The last used it to fight for the right things until the end of his life.
Tom Marvolo Riddle. Severus Snape. Harry Potter.
In the end, they weren't so different at all.
What made them different was what they chose to do with the given circumstances.
And so . . . . .
One died a villain.
One died misunderstood.
One died a hero.