HP - Shadow Monarch!

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]

Third Person POV

London.

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Snape reappeared in Diagon Alley through the fireplace, paying for its use at the shop without anyone noticing his appearance, as he wore a hood to avoid any Aurors who might recognize him.

Walking calmly while carrying a bag with its strap over his shoulder, he made his way to an open area of Diagon Alley. Once there, he took his owl out of the bag in a discreet corner to avoid being seen. He attached a letter to the bird, addressed directly to the Greengrass Manor, announcing his visit shortly before his arrival, as a courtesy. The owl then flew into the sky, and Snape continued walking.

Security in Diagon Alley was tighter than ever, with Aurors keeping a watchful eye on the area, analyzing the crowd. Snape, however, moved like a ghost through the throng; no one even noticed him. His skills had improved, and he had gained an ability from the system that allowed him to pass almost completely unnoticed by others. As he walked, he picked up one thing here and another there from shops he visited since it had been some time since his last visit to the area.

He was intrigued by a few items and couldn't help but notice the bookshop displaying some interesting new editions. He purchased them to add to his reading collection. Discreetly, he also observed that among the crowd, besides the Aurors, there were wizards from various families circulating through the area, alert to any suspicious movements. Undoubtedly, everyone was investigating the recent deaths of dark wizards over a month ago, and the dust was far from settling.

Snape, however, ignored these developments and pressed on until he arrived near his newly acquired shop. He apparated past the wizards guarding the place and found his house-elf sweeping the premises. She quickly noticed him, jumped back, and looked at him cautiously and somewhat fearfully.

"Master Snape!!" she exclaimed, eyeing him warily. At least she didn't freeze up as she had the last time, but still, Snape sighed at this. Kreacher had clearly said some things to her that he shouldn't have.

"Hello, Genini," Snape greeted her before continuing. "I want to know how things are going?" he asked. She responded in the same nervous tone.

"Everything is fine. I've been taking good care of everything. I won't be punished as a sacrifice, will I?" she asked, terrified. Snape wanted to throttle the Black family elf for this.

"Forget about that. I won't do that to you. Just tell me one thing—has anyone tried to interfere here?" he asked.

"Yes..." she said hesitantly. "But Genini has managed to drive them all away!" she quickly replied, referring to herself in the third person as all house-elves do.

"Alright. I figured as much. Later, I'll ask you to accompany me to my home. I need you to inform me if anything happens to the shop," Snape said.

After that, he left the elf and headed to the shop's fireplace. The flames roared to life as he uttered the words that would take him directly to Greengrass Manor.

The green flames enveloped his vision, and he reappeared before a large gate bearing the family crest. He could already see a vast, well-tended garden stretching across the property, the pleasant scent of flowers wafting through the air. Some families kept fireplaces strategically placed near the gate for the convenience of visitors, as was the case with the Greengrass family. He approached the doorbell and rang it.

A house-elf appeared the moment he pressed the button, looking at him curiously. "Hello, visitor. May I know who you are and what brings you here?" she asked politely, with a rare naturalness for house-elves. Most, in his experience, were either grumpy or extremely wary. It was even rarer to find one well-treated and happy, though the ones at Hogwarts were an exception—but they didn't count.

"Hello. I have an invitation from the Greengrass family. I am Severus Snape," he replied, handing a letter to the elf.

She quickly took it and read it. "Ah, you are Mr. Snape. Very well, I will inform my masters. I'll be right back." The elf disappeared.

Meanwhile, Snape spotted Shadow in the air—his owl, who had arrived some time earlier and was waiting for him on the property. Upon seeing him, Shadow left her perch inside the mansion and flew towards him. Snape raised his arm, allowing the owl to land and settle on his shoulder without hurting him. Shadow's blue eyes regarded him curiously. He said nothing; the connection between him and the owl was strong and silent.

The house-elf reappeared shortly after, opening the gate. "Please, follow me, Mr. Snape. The Greengrass masters wish to see you immediately," she said.

Snape followed her as they walked through the expansive garden, full of plants and flowers. He couldn't help but admire some of the rare species that decorated the grounds. When they reached the entrance, the door opened to reveal Clarisse, who greeted him with a smile, her green eyes curious and animated.

"Severus, I was starting to think you wouldn't come," she said.

"Clarisse, hello. I'm here, aren't I?" he replied calmly, in his characteristic direct tone. The young woman smiled, clearly accustomed to Snape's reserved and serious demeanor.

"Clarisse, will you let our guest in?" a woman's voice came from inside the house.

Clarisse glanced quickly inside before turning her attention back to Snape. "Oh, of course. Please, come in. I want to introduce you to my parents," she said, gesturing for him to follow her.

Snape followed along with the house-elf while Shadow left his shoulder, unwilling to enter the house in that manner. Once inside, he found a couple who didn't appear to be very old—likely between 36 and 40 years old. Both observed him attentively. The woman had a friendlier expression, while the man clearly assessed Snape from head to toe, trying to gauge him.

After a few seconds, the man gave a small smile but maintained his composed posture. "Well, let me introduce myself," he said in a formal tone. "I'm Clarisse's father, Albert Greengrass. It's a pleasure to meet the friend she speaks of so often." He approached and extended his hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Greengrass. I'm Severus Snape," Snape replied, shaking his hand. He then turned his attention to the woman, who also approached.

"I'm Lucy Greengrass. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope my daughter isn't giving you any trouble," she said warmly.

"Mother!" Clarisse murmured, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, in any case, I see you accepted my daughter's invitation and are considering spending Christmas with us?" Albert resumed, steering the conversation.

"Yes. I'm here to discuss some matters with you, so I thought it appropriate to accept the invitation," Snape said calmly.

Albert raised an intrigued eyebrow, while Lucy and Clarisse observed him curiously. No one had expected Snape to have business with them, as it was they who had something to discuss with him.

"Discuss some matters with us? Well, I had planned to speak with you about a few things myself, but now I'm curious about what you have in mind. In any case, let's leave that for after tonight's dinner," Albert commented, turning his attention to Clarisse. "Clarisse, please take Snape to the guest room."

"Of course, Father. Come with me, Snape," she said.

Snape nodded, giving the couple a final nod before following their daughter. He noticed that she was likely the family's only child, given the way her parents treated her.

"I'm glad you came, Snape. I was just wondering today whether you'd actually show up," Clarisse commented as they walked, repeating what she had already said before. Then, she continued, "But I'm curious… Do you have business with my father? What might it be?"

"Well, I'm setting up a few enterprises under my name and might need a supplier for potion production," Snape replied straightforwardly.

"Really? But do you need us in large quantities?" She arched her eyebrows, intrigued, not imagining that Snape had purchased a large shop in Diagon Alley to compete with all other potion shops.

"Don't worry about that. You'll find out soon enough," he said, ending the topic.

They continued to the guest room, a rather spacious area for a visitor, but typical of mansions belonging to prominent families. Snape couldn't help but compare. The Greengrass home reminded him of the Black family's in terms of opulence.

"Well, you'll stay here. I hope it's suitable for you," Clarisse commented.

"It's not larger than where I live currently, but it's certainly much more spacious than my old home, where I lived for most of my life," Snape replied calmly. He approached the window, opening it. His owl, Shadow, flew around the area and entered, landing on the headboard of the bed. Snape took a perch from his bag and set it up so she could rest. She perched on it gracefully, still free, as Snape didn't use a cage.

"You don't use a cage for her?" Clarisse asked, glancing at the owl. She remembered seeing Shadow in the aviary when visiting the Room of Requirement, always admiring the owl's unique beauty.

Snape didn't respond immediately, merely observing his owl with attention, ensuring she was comfortable. "It's fine. She obeys me without trouble," Snape said.

"I see," she murmured, watching him. Snape quickly settled into the room, organizing his belongings, while Clarisse waited just outside.

"Well, since you're interested in what we offer, I'd like to show you our property and our stocks. We have several places where we grow our herbs and plants, but here we keep all our specimens so you can see what we can provide," Clarisse commented.

"Excellent. Please, lead the way," Snape replied, ready to leave the room.

Clarisse nodded and began guiding him out of the room, leading him to the garden. Snape had to admit that the quantity and quality of potential ingredients cultivated by the Greengrass family were unparalleled. It was no wonder they were the leading suppliers of magical herbs and plants across England.

Clarisse seemed very comfortable explaining everything they saw. Time passed quickly, and as evening began to fall, Snape and Clarisse returned to the mansion.

"Please, prepare yourself for dinner," she requested before heading to her room.

Snape nodded and took a quick bath, dressing appropriately—not overly formal, but not sloppy either. He found the Greengrass family already gathered at the main dining table.

"Please, take a seat, Mr. Snape," Albert said, gesturing to a chair beside his daughter while he sat at the head of the table, his wife and Clarisse seated opposite them.

Mrs. Greengrass smiled kindly at him, while the house-elf, whom Snape noted was well-treated by the family, served the dishes. He ate quietly, appreciating some of the unique offerings grown by the family, which also cultivated rare foods.

"I saw your play in the last Quidditch match of the year. I must say, I've never seen anyone hit a Bludger like that... You certainly have talent. Are you interested in joining the team this year, perhaps?" Albert asked curiously.

"Albert is a Quidditch enthusiast, so when he saw your move and realized you were the friend Clarisse often talked about, he became very interested in meeting you. But you had already left the stadium after the event," Mrs. Greengrass added.

"Well, I don't see myself playing the sport. I have other responsibilities that keep me quite busy," Snape replied.

"I see..." Albert commented, though Snape could detect a hint of disappointment in his voice. It seemed Albert had hoped to see him on the Slytherin team this year, but Snape saw no advantage in it—only wasted time.

The conversation continued as Snape exchanged a few words with Albert, commenting on the garden he had toured with Clarisse earlier that day.

"You're certainly skilled with herbs, but I've heard you're not specializing in Herbology," Albert remarked.

"That's true. It's not my primary area," Snape replied calmly.

"Snape is the best alchemist at Hogwarts! He's unmatched and even helped me with my OWL exams in Herbology," Clarisse interjected enthusiastically.

"Yes, you've told us about that before. Still, it's very impressive," Albert said, nodding. "In any case, let's leave that topic for after dinner."

The meal continued with light and superficial conversations until everyone finished. Albert then invited Snape to his office, while his wife took Clarisse to her room. Finally, it was time for Snape to discuss the terms of the deal with his first supplier for the shop he was planning.

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