My name is Severus Snape. I am ten years old, and my father treats me differently than other people treat their children. I live at Number 13, Spinners End, and my only friends are Lucius Malfoy and Lily Evans, a muggle. I can't wait until next year… Hogwarts. One year of freedom from my house, from my father, from the beatings… but that is also one year away from Lily… oh, I wish that she could come with me to Hogwarts… to see magic, and learn it, and than…. well… who knows.
I am sitting on a swing in a park near my home. The sun beats down on my face, and my shirt clings to me as I sit… not swinging… not kicking… just sitting. It's extremely hot today, and I wish that I was out of the sun, but it's better out here than it is at home. There is no one else here. Just me, all alone, but that is alright.
I sigh as I sit here, pushing a pebble around with my toe.
"Sev?" a voice calls. I jump and look up. "Sev, is that you?" It's Lily. Her red hair is flying behind her as she runs toward me, with a huge smile on her face, and her emerald green eyes are shining in the sunlight.
"Hi, Lily," I say as she stops before me. "How are you?"
"Oh, I'm fine… how are you?" she asks me, pulling a strand of her hair behind her left ear.
"Fine…" I mumble, a lie I commonly tell, looking at the ground. Her hand reaches for mine, grabbing it and pulling me up.
"Come on," she says, smiling sadly. "Let's play!" I smile back and she pulls me towards the slide. We climb the ladder quickly and go down together, trying to make ourselves go faster because the metal is so hot, even through our jeans. We reach the bottom swiftly, and go again. When I reach the bottom, I realize that she is standing behind me. She tags my shoulder playfully and races off toward the swings. I race after her and we are soon enthralled in our game.
"Well, well, well… who's this, boy?" I hear a voice near me as I run around after Lily, and stop dead in my tracks. Turning slowly, I come face to face with my father. He has a smug smirk on his face as he asks about Lily, who sees that I have stopped and jogs over to us. When she reaches us, she tucks some of her fiery hair behind her ear and looks up at my father.
"Hello, sir, are you Severus' father?" she asks politely. I feel sick. I have just been caught with a muggle… this cannot lead to anything good.
"Yes, I am. My, what a pretty little witch she is, eh, Severus?" he sounds pleased, as if she might be good for marriage later. He looks her up and down just as the weight of his words hits Lily and a perplexed look crosses her face. Please, Lily, don't say anything, my mind screams, even as she says crossly:
"Excuse me?" My father looks at her in surprise. "I am not a witch. Why would you even say something like that?" She crosses her arms across her chest as my father turns to glare at me. I cower slightly.
"Sir… I---" I begin, but my father silences me, grabbing my arm and pulling me away swiftly. I hiss in pain and Lily gasps in surprise as I am dragged away. I catch Lily's eye and say "Go home, Lily," just as my father begins his rant. She is tense. She doesn't understand. My father grabs my chin and makes me face him.
"You mean to tell me, boy, that this little… muggle," he hisses in disgust, "is your friend!" I open my mouth to speak, but he continues. "You have been playing with this filth? Under my very nose! Well," he says, as he begins to unbuckle his belt, "let's let this little muggle bitch see what happens when she associates with wizards! How dare she! How dare you!" I hear Lily gasp and I look over to see a tear rolling down her face.
"Sir, please, I---" he pulls me close by the collar of my shirt. I cry out slightly in surprise as I find my face suddenly inches from his. I feel like all the air has been knocked out of my lungs, and then I immediately slam my eyes shut and wait for a blow. My entire body flinches and I tense when my father speaks again. "We will talk about this when we get home," he hisses.
"Sir, please," I say as he releases my shirt and walks away. "Please…"
"Please what?" he roars.
"Please… I… I want to---" he slaps my face and a tear leaks out of my eye.
"Stop it!" Lily screams from where she stands. "Stop it! You can't do this!" She comes and stands in front of me. She is facing my father with such hatred, such bravery as I have never seen. My father glares down at her.
"What did you say, filth?" he hisses menacingly as Lily wipes some tears away from her emerald green eyes.
"You can't treat him like that!" she screams, taking a defiant stance, clenching her fists. He looks at her in pure rage, hatred blinding his vision.
"Can't I?" he roars, moving toward her. Even as she starts to respond, I put myself in front of her. My father gives me a look of pure disgust and loathing, and scoffs as he walks away, back toward our manor. I wait until he is gone before sitting on the ground. Lily also sits. I feel a tear roll down my cheek and angrily brush it away. She watches me in sad silence, as if she is wondering what to do. Finally, she scoots closer to me, and puts her arm gently around my shoulder. Then, she wordlessly pulls me into a hug… and I begin to cry.