HP - Shadow Monarch!

Chapter 16 - First Day 04.

[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

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Snape continued walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, already accustomed to many of the stares that turned towards him as people gossiped. After all, his identity as Severus Snape had started to spread among all the students, and he was the center of attention that day. Not just for having missed a week, but also for the incredible change that wasn't just visual, since the atmosphere around him was different from before; he had always been a reserved person, but now it seemed he was doing so on purpose.

He walked on, moving away from the greenhouse and towards one of the main towers where Transfiguration classes were held. His cloak swayed as he walked in the direction of the next class.

Meanwhile, in the Transfiguration classroom, the Gryffindor students had already arrived due to their last class with Flitwick ending early. They just settled in and waited for the Slytherin students and Professor Minerva herself, who hadn't appeared yet.

"Hey, did you hear?" said a Gryffindor student, eager to gossip.

"What?" asked another.

"Snape is back, that's what everyone's talking about," the student said, surprising most of the listeners. After all, Snape had even been mentioned by the professor for his absence, and no one knew anything about the student, with many from Gryffindor saying that he had allied with You-Know-Who and the death merchants.

They exchanged looks, especially Potter and his group, the Marauders, looking with a malicious smile. Since this meant that they would get their revenge for what happened in Diagon Alley. Meanwhile, next to them, another girl at one of the other tables looked a bit stunned. She still had some conflicting feelings for Snape. She tried to ignore them throughout the year, but after what happened in Diagon Alley, she didn't know what to think. He had insulted her again, calling her mudblood as he did when they ended their friendship, but now there was disdain in his look, something Lily had never seen in Snape before.

As the Slytherin students started to enter after their Herbology class, Potter wasted no time and turned to them. "Hey, is Snape back? Where is he?" he demanded.

The Slytherin students, as a symbol of their house, responded to Potter with disdain. "Who are you to demand anything from us, Potter?" someone retorted.

"I want to know if he's back, or are you scared?" He challenged them, while the Slytherins looked at him disdainfully. But someone replied, "Yes, he's back, and very different from what you imagine. Honestly, if I had an enemy like Snape now, I'd be careful. And if I were you, I'd stay away from him. This year is going to be very interesting," said that Slytherin boy with scorn.

This left Potter confused about his words, but he shrugged it off. Potter, along with the other students, looked towards the door, waiting to see Snape enter the room.

But at that moment, it was Professor Minerva who appeared, entering the room. She had gone out to take care of some matters and returned, looking over the students while searching for someone specific, not finding him.

"Good morning, everyone," she said, settling at her desk before giving the time for the class to start. She kept an eye on the door, waiting for that student to arrive. It didn't take long, as Snape was the last to enter.

His cloak, with the symbol of his house emblazoned on the chest, chin up, made everyone in the room lift their gaze to this approaching presence. Once again, this left all the Gryffindors shocked, while the Slytherin members, having gone through this already, just smiled at their classmates' reaction.