2 1. How it all started.

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The whole landscape around the once peaceful Hogwarts was reshaped after a battle that would be remembered for generations.

Under the intense rain, stood a black-haired youth, surrounded by blue flames that consumed everything in their path, looking down at the dead body of one of the greatest dark wizards of the wizarding world.

*Boom*

The night sky roared a thunder, revealing the face of the wizard that terrorized the whole population of magical Britain for the past 5 years, now laid dead at the feet of the black-haired youth.

Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard of all time, and feared by the whole of magical Britain, now lay as nothing but an indistinguishable corpse. His white snake-like skin was burned into crisp brown like a roast chicken leg piece and his glaring red eyes that held malice for everything good lost their light.

The Black-haired youth who made one of the most feared wizards of the century into a deep-fried steak was 'Severus Prince', the man behind the ultimate downfall of Voldemort and Death Eaters.

Outside the raging fire that encircled Severus, stood the people who fought in the war.

People from both sides of the war were left awestruck by the battle to even process what they have just witnessed.

A battle beyond their imagination, creatures beyond their wildest fantasies, Spells they never knew, the magic they didn't know to exist, they couldn't help but admire the battle that will be remembered as the battle that reshaped the wizarding world.

On one side of the war stood, The Order, led by Albus Dumbledore, which wanted to stop the madman in his conquest to eradicate muggles.

The Order consisted of people, who tried to win a war without killing the enemy that showed no mercy to them. It consisted only of a few youths who were barely out of Hogwarts, retried Aurors, Squibs, and few teachers of Hogwarts. A group that should have no chance against people who threw unforgivable curses around like their some basic charms but the group held on so long due to the man who held the elder wand and the help from shadows.

On the other side of war stood a band of Death Eaters, who followed a mad man in his conquest to eradicate muggles. They followed this madman for greed, some followed him to fulfill their twisted desire for superiority, some followed him due to fear, some followed him for the power and some were forced to follow him.

No one dared to move an inch from their positions, they were too stunned from the battle to approach him, they felt fear chain their heart even at the thought of approaching him.

They just stared at the lone figure of Severus with fear evident in their eyes.

The grounds of Hogwarts were stained with blood.

Severus wasn't affected by the blood that flowed under his feet, he just gazed at the night sky in silence.

Severus raised his arm high above his head and spoke in a whisper but his voice echoed throughout the area

"BEGIN!!!"

As soon as the words left Severus's lips, all hell breaks loose.

All of sudden, the Death Eaters were attacked from all sides by an unknown group of people clad in all black. They were dressed in the same way that people who followed Severus into the war wore.

This group merged from the shadows and captured the Death eaters who were too stunned to react in a few seconds.

Death Eaters, who came to their senses and started attacking swiftly taken out by the unknown group.

All of the captured Death Eaters were apparated away from the Hogwarts grounds by their attackers.

Dumbledore and his Order were about to make a move to stop the attack and capture the attackers along with death eaters.

Before they could even raise their wands, a huge wall of raging blue fire appeared before them, stopping them in their tracks.

They turned towards the source of the wall of fire and saw Severus staring at them with a cold expression, his eyes glowed icy blue in the dark rainy night.

All of them had different thoughts but no one wanted to make a move toward him or the group that was capturing Death Eaters.

# Dumbledore's POV #

I have seen the rise of two of the greatest dark wizards in my lifetime, one who used love to create hate and the other who never knew love.

A youth who isn't even a quarter of my age just killed the greatest dark wizard, yet he doesn't seem fazed by the battle at all.

Looking around, I saw the destruction caused by their battle.

I have never seen a battle like this before. Creatures that looked as if they were dragged to a land of living from the deepest parts of hell, Black magic that violated everything good about magic.

Hogwarts, which was celebrated as the greatest wizarding school was stained by the blood and corpse of the vile creatures.

This battle showed me how little I knew about the mysteries surrounding this magical world, despite my power and wisdom.

Even my battle with Grindelwald wasn't this destructive.

Maybe I should have taken the chance to learn sorcery when it was presented to me.

Both Severus and Tom were too similar, both half-bloods, both saw Hogwarts as an escape yet both couldn't find the place they were looking.

From what I have seen from our past encounters, Severus doesn't hold any pleasant feelings towards some people in 'The Order'.

Even after Severus killed tom and ended the war that plagued the Wizarding side of Britain for a long time, I didn't know how to judge his actions.

If anyone has any hopes to stop Severus if he ever turned into another Dark lord, then it would be fall upon me to stop him and I don't even know if I can stop.

If Severus went down the same path as Voldemort, he would be far more dangerous than Tom.

I cannot fathom how I will ever stop him if he starts a war, even with Elder wand, I am not sure I could defeat Severus.

I remember Gellert using Love as means to take over the world, it wasn't easy to battle win against him.

Gellert had many who were willing to give their life, which made the war more difficult.

Now, I fear the same with Severus as he too has people who are willing to lay their lives for him.

I shake away the thoughts of the future and decided to focus on the present.

I was under a shield to avoid the rain yet the moisture in the atmosphere made this old bag of bones shiver.

I looked at the lone figure of Severus, who stood soaked head to toe in the rain and continues to stare at the night sky with an indifferent look.

# 3RD POV #

Severus looks around at the scenery that his battle with Voldemort has caused.

He saw the demolished pillars, dead bodies, and frightened people, who were shivering in fear due to his presence.

He stared coldly at some members of Order, who he hated.

He still was inches away from ending them right here yet he had to control himself.

He looked at those he had saved, he found fear instead of appreciation in their eyes.

He looked at his former headmaster, who was still judging him even after what he had done for them.

Severus closed his eyes and let himself feel the rain.

He vividly remembers all the lives he has taken.

He recalls his first-ever murder, the murder that changed him.

Severus opens his eyes and gazes at his hands, they still appear as if they were covered in blood since the first night of the Christmas holidays in his sixth year. Yet he didn't feel any guilt for the lives he has taken.

It all started that day, on that day a part of Severus Snape's died, and another part of him was woken up.

It was the day he killed his father.

It marked the birth of ' The Half-blood Prince'.

[2.5 years back]

The normally depressive Spinner's end was glowing with lights, the street was covered in snow, and children were playing around with their friends & parents, and making a snowman with their family.

Even the poorest were in the highest of festive spirit.

The depressiveness seem to have been sucked out of the street, in its place, it was filled with joy.

The Christmas trees were decorated by the combined efforts of children and adults.

But this joy doesn't seem to have any effect on one particular house, the house neither had the decoration nor the festive spirit around it.

The house would barely pass as a place to live.

From the outside, it was in a pretty bad condition, and on the inside, it was shabby and rusty.

It was the house of the Snape family.

The Snape family was unusual, it consisted of a drunkard, a witch, and a teen.

It wasn't the first time the family didn't celebrate Christmas.

Tobias, the head of the house was a drunkard, rarely brought any money to the house, and all the money he brought to the house went into his alcohol.

Eileen snape formerly known as Eileen Prince was a pureblood witch, though she was a witch she rarely performed magic due to living in a muggle area.

On every single Christmas, Eileen and Tobias fought.

Eileen insisted Tobias 'the drunkard' at least bring some money to celebrate Christmas with their son but Tobias never listened.

Tobias accused her of wanting to rob him of his hard-earned money.

Tobias neither cared about his wife nor his son.

He was addicted to alcoholism and was a trash person.

This Christmas was not different, not wanting to hear them fight again their son left the house to spend some time outside.

Eileen was disheartened seeing her son leave the house.

Eileen knew her son was pulling away from her.

She didn't have a bad relationship with him, yet she can feel he blames her for his living conditions.

'Ever since his friendship with Lily broke, he is pulling away from me too.' Eileen thought sadly,

Eileen looked at her drunken husband, whom she had the misfortune of marrying.

If she ever got the chance to give a piece of advice to her younger self, she would suggest herself to never marry someone only to spite her parents.

"Why can't you at least stop drinking on Christmas? At least bring something to the house for our son. why can't you just think about him for a second?"

Eileen snapped at her husband, who was drinking a cheap beer.

"Do something with your hocus-pocus. It is my wish how I spend my money. I have already brought food to the table, be grateful for that. My son? he is one of you freaks. Even though you have that magic, you can't even create money, and you want me to work?"

Tobias shouted back, getting up from the sofa.

Eileen had enough of him blaming magic for his incompetence, so she shouts back at him.

"I told you a thousand times, magic doesn't work that way. I need some food to increase the quantity and I won't increase your beer for you. All those years you made me not use my wand, instead of protesting, I accepted it for our safety from the muggles, but you are blaming me for your incompetence."

"Hic… You...you should be grateful, I married someone like you, even your parents didn't want you, I was the one who took you in. That brat has food at that freakish school of yours." Tobias shouted in his drunken state.

"They disowned me…. because I married you. I used to live in a mansion. I was the only daughter of a pureblood family. I gave up a life of luxury for you. I didn't want to marry some pureblood maniac, so I choose you. But you turned out to be a drunkard bastard, who doesn't even care for his family, I don't even remember why I fell in love with you"

Eileen shouts back with venom.

She couldn't believe herself she had left her family for this pathetic excuse of a man.

She fell in love with him when she was young and stupid. In her stupidity, she married Tobias by running away from her family.

Her family disowned her and warned her that if she were returned to them, they will only accept her, not her son.

It was the fear of her family making her son's life dreadful, so she chooses to stay with Tobias until Severus completes his Hogwarts studies.

"Bitch," Tobias cussed at her.

He raised his hand and struck her left cheek.

*Slap*

Eileen wasn't someone who would let it slide.

This happened before but Eileen threatened Tobias with her wand. This time as well, she tried to summon her wand to stop Tobias from getting further.

But before she could utter the spell, Tobias hit her head with the beer bottle that was in his hand.

*Thud!!*

Eileen fell to the floor; her forehead starts to bleed.

Tobias didn't stop there, he continued to kick her stomach.

Eileen wasn't able to defend herself due to the intense pain from her head injury.

She clutched her stomach trying to guard herself against Tobias's kicks.

*Cough* *Cough*

She coughed blood as Tobias continued to kick her.

"What happened now, bitch? can't defend yourself. All the magic but can't beat me. hahaha"

Tobias laughed manically.

He was enjoying the torment he was inflicting on her.

Tobias crouched down and stabbed the broken beer bottle into her stomach.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

Blood flowing out from her stomach, she tried to summon her wand but the pain kept her from concentrating

"Haha...., what happened now, bitch? does it hurt?" Tobias continued to laugh maniacally as he continued to stab her deeper.

At last, she was able to summon her wand.

She grasped her wand with her bloodied hand.

With the rage of a wounded lioness, she casts a blasting spell at Tobias.

"CONFRINGO!!"

Tobias was thrown away from her.

Eileen desperately tried to shout for help but she was unable to, due to the pain it caused in her throat.

In the last moments, she had only one wish, to see her son one last time.

She was holding onto her life for her son to come.

"Come home, Son."

She whispered as she felt her vision narrowing.