Live by the Snake
[i Those who live by the snake, will die by the snake.' [/i
OF course the original of that sentiment didn't say snake, but that was what ran through his thoughts.
'The snake.' Of all the ironic things in his life, he thought this was the funniest. 'It's the snake.'
The snake was the symbol of his house, his family, the Slytherin. He wondered if he'd been a Gryffindor would it have been the sword; If Ravenclaw would it have been by the book; If Hufflepuff would he have been attacked by a hoard of enchanted marshmallows?
How many times had he been called a snake himself? He remembers the voice of a girl, "Snape you snake!' SLAP. Or the smooth voice of a friend when he had done something that was particularly sneaky, but had helped them out, "Snape, you snake."
He remembers being ten years old and talking a small green garden snake into crawling near Lily's annoying sister to scare her off, so they could talk about wizard stuff with out that muggle around.
He remembers the first time he squeezed venom from a snake to brew an anti-venom or al the other potions with snake venom in it. Now there was nothing that would save him from Nagini's venom.
He remembered as a boy wanting a boa as a pet. His mother said no, they could barely afford food for themselves never mind a pet. Irony was there were plenty of rats outside of Spinner's End that the snake could have for free. 'What a stupid thing to think of when one is dying - - "
In his mind he hears the voice of James, "Oh look it's a Snape in the grass."
He remembers getting rid of the snake when Harry dueled Draco in their second year.
He remembers other snakes that helped him out over his lifetime.
He remembers being proud of his 'slytherers' all the years they won the school Quiddich cup.
He remembers being the snake he proudly wore through seven years of his own school years.
'How ironic - - It's the snake.'
