"The Tale of a Broken Man"

By: PsychoHaired

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine unless you don't recognize a name, then I made it up… it's all J.K. Rowling's

A/N- I know, I know… PsychoHaired isn't writing a weird story, so creepy right? Well let me tell you a bit about this story for those who were expecting something more… me. This story is little bits and pieces of Snape's life, beginning with a very disturbing event that eventually caused his SPOILER AHEAD ultimate break down and eventually the murder of AD. END OF SPOILER. Throughout the story you will see what life was like for Severus. I warn you, this story will not be fluffy or all romantic, although it is one of the genres I put it under. Anyways, here it is; I hope you enjoy and that at the end of this, you might understand the reasons for Snape's actions.

Chapter 1:

It was a very stormy evening and rain could be heard all over Spinner's End. Severus sat crossed legged on his bed in his small dank and dark room reading his new textbook 1001 magical herbs and fungi. He heard a crash and a dull 'thud' downstairs.

"Your son is a freak! Just like you're whole lot! It's your entire fault!"

"Don't you dare call OUR son like that!"

"He is no son of mine!"

Another crash was heard, followed by a whimper.

"Mum" Severus whispered and ran downstairs. He stopped at the base of the steps and looked wide eyed at the scene before him. Severus's mother, Eileen Prince, was crouched in the kitchen corner sobbing, a trickle of blood running down her forehead.

"Mum!" Severus ran towards her. He crouched next to her shaking body and hugged her protectively.

"Don't you touch her boy!" His father roared.

"Leave her alone" Severus whispered in a dangerous voice.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" He struck him across Severus's face with a forceful hand.

"Tobias… please!"

"Shut up wench!" he wielded a butcher's knife from behind his back "I should've done this when you told me… when you told me what you were" his eyes glowed with maniacal fury. He slowly drew the knife over his head for momentum and plunged it downwards.

"Noooooo!" Severus's scream pierced the stormy night as a flash of green light and a dull 'thump' issued a second later.

-o-

Severus sat on a hard wooden bench on the trial of his father's murder. The judge walked into the courtroom and the crowd rose up, he took a seat and motioned them to do so as well.

"The jury has reached a verdict. We find Eileen M. Prince, accused on the counts of second degree murder of Tobias S. Snape… guilty as charged" he struck his gavel on the podium. "Mrs. Prince will be sentenced to five years in Azkaban Prison, no bail; which will be carried on September 1st of this year." A chatter rose from the crowd and the judge slammed his gavel once again "Order! As for the custody of the child, Severus Tobias Snape" the judge looked over at his dumbstruck expression "He will be sent to a foster home. The court is adjourned." He struck the gavel one last time and the crowd rose slowly to its feet leaving a still dumbstruck eleven-year-old Severus behind.

A/N- This is the beginning, I hope you liked it. More will be coming up soon, I already have the first three chapters written on my notebook, but since this isn't my computer, I'm going to wait until I get back home on Tuesday. I know this chapter is short and so will the next one, but the third chapter is a lot longer than this. Well, now it's up to you. Please review :) You will find out the pairing on chapter three, I don't want to give too much away at the moment…