Severus Snape stood alone in the darkened hall of Hogwarts, his long cloak swishing around him as he stared into the flickering flames of the fireplace. The heat from the fire barely reached him, and he welcomed the coldness that seemed to wrap around him like an old friend. He was used to solitude, used to the silence that followed his every step. Most knew him as the Potions Master, the intimidating, brooding figure who seemed to have little patience for anything or anyone. But few understood the weight that pressed on his shoulders, the burden he carried, and the sacrifices he’d made. It had all started many years ago, when he was just a boy really, at Hogwarts. Snape had been full of ambition and anger, longing for power in a world that seemed to have rejected him.The darkness of his own thoughts often led him toward Lord Voldemort, who promised him everything he wanted. But that path came with consequences. The Dark Lord’s promises of power were empty, and Snape realized, too late, that he'd fallen into a trap. What Voldemort sought wasn’t power—it was domination and destruction. And in that moment, Snape found himself torn. He had already pledged his loyalty to the Dark Lord, but a part of him—the part that had loved Lily Evans, the woman who had once been his closest friend—couldn’t ignore the truth. Lily was gone. Voldemort had taken her life, and Snape had done nothing to stop it. The pain of that loss would never go away. But in the deepest depths of his soul, he knew there was something he could still do to make up for it. He turned to Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw in him something Snape couldn’t even recognize in himself: the chance for redemption. And so, Snape made a vow: a vow to help protect Harry Potter, Lily’s son, even if it meant his own life would be sacrificed for it. Years passed, and Snape’s life became one of constant tension and secrecy. At Hogwarts, he played the role of the harsh, cruel teacher, always pushing his students away, especially Harry, who reminded him so much of Lily. But beneath the cold exterior, Snape was always watching, always listening. He was a spy in plain sight, playing a dangerous game, feeding information to Dumbledore while maintaining his place as a trusted Death Eater in Voldemort’s eyes. And all the while, he carried the secret of his love for Lily, a love that had never faded, never diminished. Even when Harry hated him, Snape never wavered. He never gave up on his mission, even when it seemed hopeless. It was in the final moments, when the battle at Hogwarts reached its peak, that Snape’s true nature was revealed. The Death Eaters stormed the castle, and Harry, now a young man, faced the ultimate test. Snape’s loyalty to Dumbledore, his quiet sacrifices, and his undying love for Lily—all of it came to light in those last moments. Harry, understanding at last, saw the truth about Snape’s courage, his bravery, and the terrible price he had paid. As Snape lay dying, his final words were not of regret, but of love. “Look… at… me…” he whispered, a final plea for Harry to see him as he truly was. Not the villain he had been painted to be, but a man who had fought for something greater than himself. And in those last moments, as the life drained from him, Snape finally found the peace he had longed for. In death, he was free of the pain that had tormented him for so long. He had lived a life of shadows, but in the end, he had become a hero, not for his fame, but for the love he had given—even if it was never fully understood.
641 words, took approx. 45 mins. Ignore the planes.
