The Next Generation of Wizards

Snape

Snape had always been a quiet guy. He'd always been shy, always obsessed with the ghosts of the past, always trying to figure out who he was.

He had grown up without his real parents. His mother had left him when he was barely three months old, and he'd never known his father. Professor McGonagall had brought him up. She was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother, for he loved her dearly, and it wasn't until he came to Hogwarts that he began to search for his parents.

It hadn't been easy. The only people who knew his parents' identities were McGonagall and Dumbledore, none of which was willing to answer his questions. He cried himself to sleep every night, wondering if he would ever find his parents, wondering why they'd left him behind, wondering how different his future would be if Minerva hadn't adopted him.

The day he turned 16, Minerva asked him if he wanted to know the truth. He couldn't believe his ears! He had been waiting for this his whole life, he was finally going to finish the never ending puzzle.

The memory was still fresh. Snape would always remember that night. It was a little foggy, cold for a summer eve, and the air smelled like burned wood. He remembered McGonagall's smile, telling him to sit down. That smile soon turned into a frown, which then turned into a single tear. He'd felt so confused, so lost. He'd thought his parents were dead. He'd thought he would never see his parents again. He was wrong. Turns out they were there the whole time, lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike back.

He just couldn't believe his parents were S-

Sweat rushed through his body as he woke up screaming. Unfortunately, it wasn't a nightmare. You can get rid of a nightmare, forget it even, but you can never get rid of powerful memories. He had learned to control it, learned how to sleep without it crawling its way to his dreams...

It was back, and stronger than ever. Sadness, pain, anger, betrayal, confusion, loneliness... they were all there, making sure he couldn't sleep at night.

And it was all thanks to the Potter boy.