My Own, Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, therefore I do not own any of the characters, and considering how many times the plot has been used, probably not even the plot!

3rd person POV:

The potions class sat down as their professor barked for silence from his desk. The potions professor, Severus Snape, was considered cruel and heartless by both the students and the teachers. Nobody knows of his past, what inspires him to be such a git. Only Dumbledore knows.

Suddenly the door banged open and Harry Potter ran through the door, his hair sticking up in every direction.

"Sorry I'm late, Sir." Harry said, not really meaning it. Why would he apologize for being late to the worst person in the world?

"10 points from Gryffindor for your absence and noisy entrance." Professor Snape declared, smirking satisfactorily. All of the Slytherins snickered.

"What! I was only a minute late!" Harry retorted.

"A minute is a minute of my time that is lost!" Snape yelled, his amusement replaced instantly by annoyance.

"I'm sorry, I forgot you brewed potions every minute of your life – explains why your so bloody uptight; potions is probably the only love you know!" Harry retorted in rage.

"ENOUGH! 30 points from Gryffindor!" Snape yelled. Harry was about to open his mouth again but received an elbow in his ribs.

"Shut up, mate. We won't have any points left if you keep it up!" Ron said, frustrated. Harry pulled out a chair from underneath the desk and sat on it.

"5 points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for talking out of line." Snape said, watching the Potter gang with a twist of weariness and hate.

"Bloody greasy git." Ron cursed under his breath.

"Now, I know that it is hard for some of you to concentrate at all" Snape said purposely looking at Harry. "But all your concentration will be needed for today's potion: Polyjuice. Begin." He said as he waved his wand at the black board and instructions suddenly appeared. As the students set to work, Severus sat down at his desk marking work.

"Fools." He mutters. "How can anyone not know the true properties and purposes of a bezoar?" Snape muses. As Severus continued abusing the stupidity of students, Harry, Ron and Hermione were abusing the cruelness of their potions professor

"I'd hate to be his kid." Ron says in disgust, making Harry grin.

"Yeah, imagine that. 'What's your father do?' a kid will ask. 'My dad is a grumpy death-eater who fantasizes about potions!' you'd have to say!" Harry said in a mocking voice, causing Ron to burst out laughing.

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron complimented, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Oh, seriously you two, you need to grow up." Hermione said with a slight smile on her face. "At least we all agree that Snape is the last person you'd want to be related to." Hermione reasoned, bottling up her potion so she could finish it later. She then turned to Ron's cauldron to help turn the bubbly pink substance into its normal grey.

"Honestly, it's a wonder you don't fail." Hermione scolded.

"Thanks a ton Hermione." Ron said clapping her on her back.

As all the students went to their dormitories, Severus went to his private rooms in the dungeons. It was his one sanctuary; he was isolated from everyone. The way he liked it. As he sat down on his leather chair, he began to think of how many ways he could give detention to students –Potter being number 1 target- but his thoughts were interrupted when a Phoenix feather floated in the air down into his lap. Leaping up from his chair, he grabbed his black cloak and ran the thousands of stairs up to the Headmasters' office.

"Lemon Sherbet." He said panting form running to the Headmaster's office.

"Headmaster, what is the urgent matter?" Severus asked, finally reaching the office. Dumbledore sat there with his head in his hands, not speaking.

"Well?" Severus asked, getting impatient. Dumbledore took a big breath.

"I recently took a sample of Harry's hair to the Healers and requested it be tested for everything…and I just got back his DNA results." Dumbledore said softly, still not believing what he was about to say.

"And what do I care? He's Potter's son!" Severus said angrily, thinking of how Lily ran off with James, not him.

"Well, that's the thing. He isn't James' son." Dumbledore said with a slight smile, unable to help but smile at the many paths of love. "He is your son."

Severus did not reply, but fainted.

Harry Potter – Potter – was his son…?

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Dumbledore walked over to Severus and levitated his body into a chair. As Snape came to his senses, Dumbledore summoned a glass of water. As he greedily drank the water he couldn't feel the water touch the sides of his throat.

"Impossible. You liar." Severus spat as soon as he could find his voice, his anger flaring. "How dare you take advantage of me like that!"

"Severus, I am just as surprised as you are. I never knew that you and Lily…" Albus trailed off. Severus' stomach rolled at the sound of her name. Severus closed his eyes against the emotions and breathed deeply. He knew it was wrong to be so angry at Albus; it was himself he hated.

"What do I do?" Severus asked in a hushed tone.

"Well." Albus considered. "I would recommend telling the boy. Harry has lived his life without parents, after James and Lily died – "
"DON'T! DON'T SAY IT!" Severus yelled, jumping up from his chair, shaking furiously. His face more pale then usual, his hair all over his face, his eyes violent, Severus was livid. Albus was overwhelmed with sympathy for the Potions master.

"He looks like bloody James, not me! I HATE POTTER!" Severus screamed in rage.

"Severus, I believe Lily put a charm over him; a charm which only you can lift. And you only hate him because he looks like James. The boy isn't a bad person." Dumbledore reasoned. The words calmed Severus somewhat, but he was still shaking.

"He is arrogant, ignorant and disrespectful." Severus said, his voice thick with malice.

"In your eyes. Severus, he has more of Lily in him then you see. Maybe that is because you don't want to see it though?" Albus suggested. Sighing, Severus sank back into the chair with his hands covering his face.

"Can you give me a few days to gather my thoughts and decide whether I will tell him?" Severus asked in a soft, weak voice.

"Of course. You may borrow the pensive to sort through your thoughts." Dumbledore said sympathetically. He stood up from his chair and went over to take the pensieve. As he sat it on his desk, Severus stood up.

"I know that Lily would want you to take care of her son." Albus advised his hand on Severus' shoulder. Without any acknowledgment, Severus picked up the pensieve and walked to the door with a breaking heart. "She never stopped loving you." Albus said quietly as Severus left the room.

Walking down the hallways, Severus had no energy to yell or scowl at the students walking around after curfew. He didn't even have the energy to frown. Finally reaching his apartment, Severus flung open the door and locked it behind him. He walked into his bedroom and set the pensieve upon his double-bed. He pulled out a draw of his desk and grabbed a bunch of phials. Sitting down on the bed, he poured all but one phial into the pensieve. Swirling the memories around, he took the plunge and put his head through. He was searching his memories. He opened up every memory in his quest of finding it, even though he knew he was making it more painful having to see everything he tried.

-Him and Lily at the park

-Him and Lily at Hogwarts

-Him and Lily laughing at a joke

-Him and Lily studying

-Him and Lily as they shared their first kiss.

Then he found the memory of the best and worst night of his life.

// //

It was Christmas night and both Lily and Severus stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays. Hand in hand, Severus led Lily to the astronomy tower where he had set up a picnic. There was a blanket surrounded by rose petals and a lone candle. On the corner of the blanket was a basket of food which took him all night to prepare.

Severus led Lily over to the blanket and sat down with her. She smiled at him and then played with his hands, not looking up again. Hoping he hadn't disappointed her in some way, he lifted her head with his hand and realized she was crying. He immediately grabbed her small body and put her in his lap, cuddling her.
"What's the matter Lily?" Severus asked his girlfriend. She sniffed, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"It's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me." Lily said, with tears still pouring down her face. Severus knew that this wasn't the only reason she was crying, but he didn't press the matter. He bent his face towards hers, and lightly kissed her lips. "Merry Christmas." He said lovingly.

Lily replied by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him with everything she had. Passion overcame them and soon they were both lying under the blanket naked, embracing each other tightly. For a while, they both marvelled at the starry sky above them, before Lily turned her head to look at Severus. Her head was resting on his pale chest, her red hair mixing with his black hair.
"Merry Christmas." She whispered, kissing him again. This kiss was different from the rest; it was slow, loving. Every movement deliberate. It was a kiss which made your stomach knot up. After more love-making, they fell asleep, their bodies entangled harmoniously. And Severus fell asleep as the happiest man alive. Why was that his best and worst memory? Because it was the best day of his life, but it was since that day that everything went wrong.

// //

Then the memory switched to the one he really didn't want to see.

// //

"Where's Lily?" Severus frantically asked Mary McDonald.

"I told you – she's sick!" Mary said, exasperated. It had been weeks since Severus had seen Lily; ever since school started again. They had made love a few nights after Christmas, so he knew he couldn't have been that bad at it. Lily had started feeling ill though, and by the time school started again, she didn't leave her dormitory. This worried Severus to no end. Finally, after a few more days, Lily appeared, looking pale and frail for the Defense against the Dark Arts exam.

// //

Severus pulled his head out of the penseive, unable to watch anymore. He knew all too well what happened next: He called her a mudblood by accident, she didn't talk to him, 7 months later she married Potter and had a child, while he joined Voldemort and then –effectively- killed her..

Gasping from the pain in his heart, Severus leant against the pensieve and cried. Tears streamed across his pale face as his heart tore into shreds as he remembered and relived all that ever happened. He never understood why she left without saying anything, why she stopped loving him after all he did for her. But those thoughts hurt him more, and so he picked up the last phial and poured it down his throat. The Draught of the Living Dead potion worked instantly and Severus fell asleep, still in his robes, his body draped across the pensive. Unfortunately, the Draught of the Living Dead potion does not prevent tears, and so as he slept, Severus cried.

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Meanwhile, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room talking about endless nonsense.

"Yes Ron, muggle brooms are for sweeping not flying." Hermione says, rolling her eyes at the sheer stupidity.

"Mental, they all are." Ron said shaking his head. "Oi, Harry, your getting worse then Hermione with this homework stuff!" Ron commented to Harry who was busy rewriting his transfiguration essay.

"I know. Lately I've just been feeling like I …want to. Want to strive and be the best I can possibly be." Harry finished lamely. Hermione beamed at him, but Ron frowned.

"Well, I guess a bit of Quidditch tomorrow will cheer you up!" Ron said enthusiastically, earning a grin from Harry.
Little did anyone know that from that night onwards, a little part of Harry was unlocked and would alter his future forever.

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Hope you enjoyed that chapter. For future reference, this is just a project that is sort of on the back burner. I may not update for a matter of days or matter of months, and am not sure how far I will go with the story. Most of my time is currently going into my other story, BitterSweet. But, I will try and acomplish as much as possible with this story!

Also, my writing in this story isn't the way I normally write, so I hope I haven't let anyone down too much!

If you have any questions/comments please do not hesitate to ask! I will promptly reply :)

Please read and review! It makes me happy and motivated to write more :D
Tons of thanks,

Missteque.