Harry Potter the Power Unknown By Priya Ashok

Chapter 2

Severus Snape decided he had a thoroughly wretched existence. His was a life that had been created to ridicule, to mock and to belittle. Not that he was a kind creature. Far from it, as he would acknowledge it first, but he felt he really did not deserve the breaks he did get in his life. All of them were uniformly lousy.

He had joined the death eaters to get some power and to do his bit against the establishment so to speak. That had failed miserably. While he may not be a good man or an affable one by any standard, he was not for killing anyone for the fun of it.

For all his ugly looks, awkward manners and poor demeanor he was blessed with a brilliant mind that was lighting quick, analytical, logical and he could arrive at correct conclusions almost all the time.

His knowledge in the subtle art of potion making was awe-inspiring. He loved his potions and he loved the Dark Arts more. He was ever careful not to be addicted by them and he knew as much as if not more than Voldemort with regards to it.

His mannerisms made it very difficult to be a friend to anyone. He guarded his heart jealously so that no one could get in and hurt him. He had been hurt time and again by his parents and later by his Housemates and others at Hogwarts. That was what drove him to Voldemort in the first place.

He secretly craved for some love in his life, but that seemed unlikely now, he thought bitterly.

After the fiasco with Voldemort he had escaped by the skin of his teeth by running to Dumbledore and begging him to save him. That alone almost killed Snape. He hated to beg to even ask for anything, again fate had defeated him. He begged and as a last resort offered an oath on his magic to save the son of his most hated enemy.

Harry Bloody Potter. The reason he had turned from the Dark to the Light.

He could not stomach being a part of killing a baby because of some Prophecy. And if a Prophecy said this child would kill Voldemort, then he felt he should do everything he could to make sure he would be able to. By then he had enough of being a Death Eater to join in the plans for the execution of the baby.

He hated Dumbledore. He was highly intuitive and something about Dumbledore struck him as very wrong. Being near him always made him uncomfortable and his presence always made him wary, alert and cautious.

To think he had to go and give that obnoxious man an oath, he thought snorting into his drink.

After giving the oath, he had been slightly relieved, though. He had written a letter addressed to Lily Evans Potter and had informed her of his decision to leave the Death Eaters and of the oath he had taken to protect her child to prove to Dumbledore of his sincerity and also offered his services to her as well. He had signed it in blood to assure her of his truthfulness and sincerity.

He received no reply.

The dark, bleak fact was that he had no one. Why did such things always happen to him he wondered? He wished there was someone, anyone who would show him some friendship, some concern.

The years passed. Snape grew more and more bitter and lonely, having not a single soul to care for nor having a single soul that cared. It was now about eight years after the downfall of the Dark Lord.

On the Beltane of that year which fell on the last day of April everything was to change for Severus Snape.

Harry Potter was nine and a half years old. He was currently residing in his cupboard for somehow jumping on to the rooftop of his school, trying to escape Dudley and his friends. He just didn't understand how he could be running to save his skin at one moment and be on the rooftop the next. He sighed.