Holy cow way to take the abusive father myth and turn it around! I confess to adoring stories where Severus was not abused as a child. This is a perfect example of how he was unwittingly lead into the dark arts by a caring parent.

Very interesting. Not to mention plausible. JK's portait of the Snapes in the penseive is very two dimensional (obviously; kids book, flash back, fleeting glance, etc, not critizing her at all) but so often we are unwilling to consider the possibility of a woman being the source of the trouble in domestic violence. A good friend of mine was abused verbally and physically by his wife for years and never raised his voice to her, never mind his hand, because that was how he had been raised to treat women. He was actually arrested once when his neighbours reported a disturbance because the police didn't even consider that it was her who was throwing stuff and roaring like a maniac. It's nice to see his situation represented (sort of). Excellent fic. Thank you!

Wow! What a great impression from that one memory. I love how you have twisted it. Seeing the kind and gentle Tobias was very nice.

If only JKR had been this nice to Snape.

Thank GOD I just cemented in my head night before last what I was going to do with "my Tobias" because otherwise this would have a lovely influence on it.

I'm happy to see fics that feature Tobias as something other than a wife beating drunken womaniser with a gambling addiction.  YAY!

*heart* 

Very clever idea and nicely written! Thanks for sharing.

I was confused when she was calling him a freak, then when Tobius came in and called her Martha - I'm thinking this author doesn't know what she's talking about and almost stopped reading ... skimmed down a bit [!!] and went back up to finish it. Never thought about a 'second wife'. All things are possible, until JKR ruins it with her truth.

But, the bit about Evans' living near by... that I had thought of. Due to something Petunia says to Harry in OotP ... explaining how she knew of Dementors, she said she heard it from "that awful boy". She never once refered to James that way, so I figured she must have meant Severus... time will tell.

Wow. I really enjoyed this story. Would be interesting to follow Severus' life from there, even if it does perhaps end up going a bit AU. Very touching father/son story overall!

The evil stepmother, huh?  Your story is an interesting take on that contoversial scene from Snape's memory.  Thanks for sharing.

Very interesting, sympathetic take on Snape's father. Thanks for sharing your creativity!!!

Interesting, I'd like to see Severus's time with the Death Eaters from your point of view. Why he joined and why he turned to Dumbledore.

Hmmmmmm...a very interesting spin on the assumptions concerning Severus's childhood since the publication of OotP. It's rather nice to read a story in which Severus has at least one person who really cares for him and in which Tobias is that person -- that's certainly not the impression you get from the books (although if I'm not mistaken, JKR has been quoted as saying that there has been at least one such person in Severus's life)

That is a very nice story! and a fantastic explanation for what might have happened.  Of course he studied all the books, his father wouldn't have understood them and taken them away...

-KarlaMarie 

This is a quite different take on Snape's early years - and a good and refreshing one, too! There are only two words which I'd wish weren't there: "The End"! There is so much more I'd like to know from here! And you write so well!I once read another brilliant story about little Snape and his parents called "Eileen and Tobias" written by Whitemouse. It's a great story, too - as is yours here. Thank you for writing it! And - please at least consider a couple of chapters more?

Oh I really liked this take on Snape's young life.  I would love to read more in fact.  What happens to Tobias and Severus from here to Hogwarts.  Martha seems the vindictive type with older brothers or old boyfriends that might come to "set things right" for her.  Oh well -- I did enjoy this story.  Thanks for posting.  JoAnne

Very nicely put together. Manages to explain the relevant canon details while putting an entirely different interpretation on the scene. And young Severus' interaction with his father is sweet and poignant, not sappy. Tobias Snape is believable as gentle without being a sensitive new age soul - calling his son a big girl's blouse for crying is in character, though without harshness. I really enjoyed this take on the Snape household dynamic. And I liked the bit of view of the Dark Arts coming in as comforting at the end.

Wow! That's an interpretation of the scene I'd never seen before! Well done, Alison! Any sequels in the works?

This is a very interesting and unusual look at what might have been behind his worst memory. I like that his father is not evil toward him and that it was his step-mother that was getting yelled at. And I love how he gravitated toward the Dark Arts book, a given seeing as how he'd been bullied.

I really like the idea of Tobias being something other than the monster people assume he was from that Pensieve memory. This was an interesting interpretation. I'm glad I found it. :-)

Again you put an original spin on fics, and write them well! This one was very touching.

oh, this is a wonderful and original approach to the pensieve scene.  It can finally explain why Sirius said Severus knew so much about Dark Arts when he was a firsty. and besides the plot you've made excellent work in writing this story, characterisin scene and people. I love it!