The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 47

Severus wrote to Lucius, telling him what the dirty muggles had done to him. Lucius had informed the Dark Lord, who promised to avenge Severus' honor when the time was right. Secrecy was important, so Severus had to wait until he'd graduated from Hogwarts. Severus was nothing if not patient, and he was sure the Dark Lord would make it worth the wait. Thoughts of the Dark Lord had encouraged an arrogant expression on young Severus' face, which Tobias noticed immediately.

"Smell! Oh, there you are. What're you up to?" Tobias' eyes narrowed as he eyed his defiant son, who was standing in the corner of the sitting room with a newspaper folded in his hand.

"Reading," replied Severus.

"Studyin' your mum's weirdo books, more like. Why don't you learn something useful?" Tobias moved to his chair and rummaged through a pile of pornographic magazines and photographs. He lifted a photo of a woman with her legs spread apart and stuck it in Severus' face. "Here, study that. It's as close to a real one as you'll ever get." Severus turned his head away and balled the newspaper in his fist. Tobias got a rise of his son and was pleased with himself. He grabbed Severus' arm and pulled him into the middle of the room. "Make me something to eat," ordered Tobias as he pushed his son toward the kitchen.

"I can't. There's no food."

"Do it!' shouted Tobias.

"No!" Severus shouted back. Tobias backhanded him and Severus could taste the blood trickling into his mouth where his tooth had cut his lip. In a moment of over-confident rage, he slapped his father and immediately regretted making such a terrible mistake. Severus was already a capable wizard, but he was no physical match for an experienced street fighter like Tobias. His father's balled fists rained down on him so quickly that there was little Severus could do but curl up in a ball on the floor. He tried kicking his father in the groin, but Tobias caught his leg and flung it out of the way like it was paper. Tobias was by no means a large man, but he was more heavily muscled than his slightly built and slightly taller son.

Severus managed to roll with the force of his father pushing his leg away and scrambled to his feet, still determined to best his hungover father. He retaliated by throwing a balled fist at Tobias' face. Tobias ducked it and pivoted as he crouched down and grabbed Severus' pant leg. Tobias stood up quickly, bringing his son's leg with him, while at the same time slamming the back of his shoulder into the boy, effectively knocking Severus off his feet.

The subsequent beating was painful, but short-lived as Tobias was so hungover that he needed to stop and vomit in the kitchen sink. Severus ran out the door and stalked through the neighborhood streets. A small group of girls were playing in the street. They began to laugh and point at him. They mocked his swollen bloody face and shabby clothes. He wore a large, tattered, black sweater that had been his father's; a worn overly large pair of dirty jeans that were full of holes, which also had belonged to Tobias; and dirty black boots he'd found in the garbage that were only slightly too large so that walking in them wasn't too difficult. He didn't own any socks, except for the ones he wore while at school. The boots rubbed his bare feet raw. He wore one of his father's old, brown, leather belts, which was so large that Severus had to put extra holes in it, which made the dried old belt stick out too far from Severus' narrow waist.

Severus shot the giggling girls a murderous look and they quieted instantly. A satisfied smirk spread across his face. He eventually stopped in a dark dank alley and sat on a crate to rest his sore feet and bruised ribs. The Dark Lord would be hearing of this latest assault by way of a letter to Lucius. Severus would have his revenge.

Severus knew this alley, and the nearby residents, well. He always watched for new faces in the neighborhood, which was easy to do in a nearly abandoned mill town. It's important to know one's surroundings. Directly next to this alley lived a young couple, recently married, and the wife was having a difficult time learning to cook. Severus frequently found piles of burnt food in the garbage bin. He rose and lifted the lid on the bin and found what would've been a hearty breakfast had it not been so blackened and crisp. He heard rustling farther down the alley and instinctively grabbed the hilt of his wand. A strange ticking sound slowly meandered up the alley. Severus relaxed when he saw what it was, a mangy emaciated little dog that was as unloved and forgotten as Severus himself. He took pity on it and threw it burnt eggs and burnt toast. He gathered up the sausages for himself and sat on the crate.