A handsome boy with black hair and dark eyes sat upright in the narrow, cramped room. His gaze carried a serious light, focused and unwavering.
He seemed unaffected by the stench drifting in from the sewer outside, nor by the occasional buzzing of flies in the dilapidated space.
Completely absorbed in thought, he only moved his pen across the paper from time to time.
***
Investigation of world background (√)
Recall of plot (√)
Go to Diagon Alley to seek employment, utilize talent in herbology (√)
Potion brewing attempts (in progress, 25 bottles of blood‑replenishing potion)
Resolve family conflict, prevent domestic violence and quarrels (in progress)
Accumulate savings (currently 2 Galleons, 13 Sickles)
***
Clearly, the boy was a genuine transmigrator.
Three months earlier, when he had woken from sleep to find everything around him utterly different—and discovered that his new name was *Severus Snape*—he had already guessed where he might be.
In shock, Snape had suspected that he had arrived in a world filled with magic. Careful probing confirmed his worst and most astonishing expectations.
His mother, Eileen Prince, was a real witch who had married his father, Tobias Snape, more than a decade ago. Unfortunately, the marriage was not a happy one.
Tobias possessed a tendency toward violence, and poverty only deepened his frustration. Combined with Eileen's mysterious magic, tension in the house grew daily.
When Snape first came to this world, the stifling rooms were heavy with conflict and resentment.
If events continued as they once had, Tobias would one day, in a drunken rage, abuse Eileen—and Snape's childhood would become one of misfortune.
But these volatile factors gradually faded under Snape's subtle guidance and steady influence.
The family was still far from harmonious, but Tobias now drank less and would even exchange a few quiet words with Eileen from time to time, a fragile calm replacing the former hostility.
At Snape's repeated urging, Eileen had found him a helper's job at *Felin's Herb Store*.
During these three months, Snape had eagerly absorbed knowledge of the wizarding world, aligning it with the plots he could recall, while also earning enough money to fund future plans.
Eventually, he confirmed the truth: he had arrived in the *Harry Potter* universe—specifically, in the era of the *Marauders*, the generation of Harry's parents—and had taken the place of a key character in that story.
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Regulus Black…
According to Snape's limited memory of the plot, it was now 1969—a pivotal moment before great upheaval would begin.
In 1970, the infamous Lord Voldemort would end his ten years of hiding after graduation, gather his Death Eaters, and unleash bloody chaos across the British wizarding world.
His eleven‑year reign of terror would follow, claiming the lives of countless wizards and Muggles.
Neville's parents would be tortured into madness. Regulus Black would die stealing a Horcrux.
The Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic would barely hold the line. It would not be an age of peace.
Only when Professor Trelawney's prophecy was made would the tide begin to shift. Voldemort, seeking to destroy James Potter's family, would meet his downfall instead—his dark soul torn apart, lingering in horcruxes until the day he would rise again and face the grown‑up Harry Potter.
That was all Snape could remember.
He had only watched a few of the movies in his free time, most of his memory of the story pieced together from passing clips online.
Still, he felt no regret. Even without full knowledge of the plot, he was confident in his own planning and his mysterious golden "cheat system" to survive this dark age.
***
**Name:** Severus Snape (Eric Horn)
**Age:** 9
**Skills:** Potions Lv.2, Herbology Lv.3
**Specialties:**
- *Dark Instinct – Gold* (Black magic learning speed ×2, innovation speed ×2)
- *Artisan's Insight – Red* (Herbology/Potions learning speed ×3, innovation speed ×3)
---
Through personal testing, Snape had discovered many interesting features of this portable system.
First came the *skills*. At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, he could choose one of two traits to enhance the skill's effect. But each new level demanded far more energy and focus than the last—so much so that later progress would be harder than all earlier levels combined.
Then came the *specialties*. Ranked by rarity—white, blue, purple, gold, and red—these could be copied from others using experience points, even upgraded through further expenditure.
At present, Snape had only two specialties, but their effects were extraordinary—likely the same secret talents that had led the original Snape to greatness in the canon timeline.
Eric Horn was not Severus Snape. Yet he knew from those short clips how tragic the boy's fate had once been.
Now that he had inherited Snape's life, name, and place, he had no intention of letting events replay as before or of relying on a "chosen one" who had not yet even been born.
Compared to Voldemort, soon to reemerge, he was insignificant—but like many times before in his old life, the boy's dark eyes contained no trace of confusion or fear.
He carefully checked the bottles, cauldrons, and ingredients on the blackened table. Satisfied that all was safely stored, Snape descended the creaking stairs, dust dancing with each footstep.
"Good morning, Severus," came a gentle voice.
"Good morning, Mum."
He greeted the kind‑looking woman softly, then, as he sat down, glanced at the uneasy man across from him.
"You too, Dad."
"…Mm."
The calm greeting seemed to carry a quiet magic of its own, soothing Tobias's nerves so he could finish his modest breakfast in silence.
Some abusers were beyond redemption, violent by nature. Others, however, were simply broken by their own inability to master their emotions.
Snape was relieved that his father belonged to the latter. Otherwise, he might have had to take drastic measures.
After breakfast, Tobias left for his job at the factory in town, while Eileen prepared to travel to Diagon Alley via Floo Powder to sell sweets.
As usual, Snape cleaned the dishes, and Eileen bent down to straighten his ill‑fitting clothes with maternal tenderness.
"Thank you for everything you do for this family," she said softly. "Your father and I both are grateful."
"I'm grateful too, Mum."
He kissed her on the forehead.
Snape watched as she stepped into the fireplace, tossed down a handful of Floo Powder, and vanished in a burst of green fire.
Expression unchanged, Snape stepped forward into the still‑warm hearth. The flames rose bright once more, and his calm, boyish voice echoed through the empty room:
"Diagon Alley!"