After Snape’s Death, year 1999.

In his spare time not spent dodging the searches of Ginny, Harry sorted through the memories he collected from Snape’s fallen form. He went through them year by year, starting from as early as the man could remember. He still despised the dead man for never doing anything about his living arrangements at the beginning of his fifth year, and he wanted to see exactly why nothing changed.

In places, Harry winced, seeing the childhood his ex-teacher had. His mother was beaten in place of a young Severus by his Muggle father. Harry shed tears at the woman’s eventual death when Severus was only nine, and how the beatings went on to his young body.

Harry smiled at the memories of Snape with his mother and Aunt Petunia. He saw how Snape figured out his mother was a witch, though Muggleborn. Harry saw the friendship, and felt the envy from Petunia in the back, no longer the center of attention with family or friendship. Her envy grew to hatred as magic earned her sister first in her family’s attentions.

Harry saw through Snape’s memories as the young boy was sorted into Slytherin as his friend Lily Evans was sorted into Gryffindor, and the rivalry that sprung between the two houses.

Many of Snape’s memories from his school years were painful, and Harry occasionally wished he wasn’t related to his father for what the younger Potter did to the dead man. Harry saw the beatings continue at home over the summers. He saw Severus’ mind slowly turn dark, his loyalties hovering between Dumbledore’s side and the rising Voldemort.

The single memory of Severus losing his mother’s friendship over ‘Mudblood’ had Harry pulling from the Pensive and crying, as it was the last straw for the man’s innocence. Snape, friends with a Lucius Malfoy, was initiated the summer before his seventh year. Dumbledore never knew what went on in Severus’ life. Even though the beatings at home stopped, courtesy of his father being smaller and non-magical, as well as Muggle, Snape still tortured others through his magic and potions, at which he was adept.

Some memories were hazy, as if the man had tried to erase them, though with what Harry was uncertain. The memories never became clearer, no matter how many times he viewed them.

Many years passed in this manner. Finally, Harry came upon the memory of Snape overhearing part of the prophecy. He saw Voldemort’s pleasure at the knowledge. Hovering in the back of Severus’ mind was the question of whether or not he had done the right thing, but the thought was soon dismissed.

Harry felt the man’s grief as he realized that the prophecy was intended for his childhood friend Lily’s son. He watched as the man ran to Dumbledore and begged his forgiveness, joining the Light side and warning of the impeding danger.

The teen saw as Snape watched from outside Godric’s Hollow as Harry’s house was blown up by the backfiring curse, the house now visible with the Fidelius broken by Pettigrew, another childhood tormentor to Snape.

For ten years, Snape was safe on the side of the Light, being harsh to his students as a Potion’s professor, living inside Hogwarts’ walls as he pretended to gather information on the batty old headmaster. Finally Harry came to school and wreaked havoc on the man’s renewed life.

Snape hated the young Potter on sight, fearing the James look-alike would torment him like his father before. Thus, the Snape-Potter hatred was continued.

Harry watched as Severus warded away Quirrell from the third floor, receiving the dog bite in return. He heard as Snape murmured the counter jinx so Harry’s broom would stop its mad jumping.

The years slipped by, finally coming to a rest on Harry’s fifth year. Snape’s hatred was full-bloom still, the feelings mutual between him and Harry. Harry saw the man’s disgust at his potion, heard the memory replay detention’s assignment. He watched as Snape finished his day, periodically grading papers.

After those papers were filled with red, Snape’s memories were cloaked in heavy clouds. All that floated through the haze were mutterings of Potter, clean cauldrons, Dumbledore, and regrets.

Tears for the Dead

And Harry wept, for he had hated a man after his death for an accident, his words shunned as a fifth year. One accident had cost Harry his happiness. One drunken night was all it took for Snape to remember not. Harry sobbed as he felt the man’s remembered regret. He cried at the man’s life, both in hate and remembrance. Harry’s tears were for the dead.