Snape was unprepared for the raw emotion that came off the young man standing in front of him. He immediately gasped and took a step back. His eyes then closed temporarily as he quickly threw up his Occlumency barriers. He took a shuddering breath a few seconds later before he glanced at the young Gryffindor.

Never before had Snape felt so much revulsion, hatred, and disgust at one's self than he did with the young man in front of him. When he was convinced that he was in control of his own emotions again, Snape stepped forward. His eyes narrowed on the Gryffindor. He gingerly reached out and set his hand on Harry's shoulder once more. The young man didn't even skitter away, which was what Snape expected. Instead, Harry remained perfectly still staring at the floor.

"What makes you believe that, Harry?" How gentle his voice was immediately surprised Snape. However, he knew from experience that he was treading on dangerous ground so it shouldn't have been too surprising. Something had unhinged the young Gryffindor so severely, and Snape knew he had to be the one to find out since things like this always fell on him to clean up.

"That's what I am," the young man whispered back.

"That most certainly is not what you are!" Snape harshly rebuked before he pushed Harry's chin up so that he could look into the emerald eyes full of pain. "If it were truly the case, then you are claiming that I also am a freak. Since we know that not to be true, then you are severely incorrect."

"It doesn't matter."

"On the contrary, it does in fact matter, Mr. Potter. You are a wizard. There is nothing unnatural about you." That statement got a definite reaction from the young man. Unfortunately, it was a rather violent reaction.

"Yeah, well, tell that to Voldemort, Snape, because he tends to disagree with you." The normally kind emerald eyes that Harry shared with his departed mother quickly darkened. The young man then clenched his teeth together and balled his hands into fists. A slight rumbling overtook the room as a bout of uncontrolled magic came from Harry. "Why else would he try to kill me?"

"You know the reason, Harry. It was because a selfish fool decided to deliver half a prophecy to him without thinking of the meaning or consequences." Snape then wisely remained quiet before he revealed more. He watched the emotions quickly flood across Harry's face. He saw first anger, then sadness and despair, followed by a surrendering look.

The look of submission horrified Snape the most. He had given his word on his wizard's oath standing in front of Lily and James Potter's graves fourteen years ago to protect their only son to the best of his ability. However, he knew now that as long as Harry had no fight left in him that Snape might as well just have delivered Harry to the Dark Lord. After all, Snape himself had submitted himself to whatever would happen to him in the Dark Lord's presence at one point in his life, and look where that got him, a tattoo on his left forearm, tainted magic, and liters upon liters of blood on his hands that would never wash off no matter how hard he washed them.

"I apologize for the role I played in your parents' deaths. I would gladly give my life for theirs." Snape added silently in his head, if anyone deserved happiness, it would surely be you, Harry.

"Don't," croaked Harry softly. "Don't say things like that." He then whispered barely above a hiss, "You'll just make me think I'm normal."

"You are normal, though, Harry." When Snape caught Harry's immediate protest, he clarified. "What I mean to say is that you are normal in the sense that you are a fourteen-year-old wizard attending one of the most prestigious Wizarding schools in all of Europe."

"My parents are dead, though."

"As are mine and in a way as are Longbottom's parents," Snape quickly replied. "Death is the natural way of balancing life. The Dark Lord—"

"Why do you call him that? You don't really serve him."

"Very well," Snape drawled before he rolled his eyes. "Voldemort disrupted this, however, but I believe that by the end life will be restored to its rightful place. After all, anyone can choose darkness, Harry. Those who choose to live in the light are the strongest because they do not give into temptation." He then sighed softly. "Perhaps we should have an Occlumency lesson tonight. I will return shortly."