The Secret of The Serpent | Harry Potter

Chapter 3: Summer 1991

"Riley," his mother called out gently, "come join us. This is important."

Gathering his courage, Riley walked into the living room, forcing his feet to move forward confidently. His parents' worried expressions soothed slightly at his approach.

"What's going on?" Riley asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.

The cloaked man remains quiet, his stare impassive. His parents exchanged glances, and his mother nodded. "We knew you were special since the day we first saw you, Riley," she began, her voice steadying. "And it seems this gentleman has the answers to many of our questions.

Immediately Riley's head snaps back towards the strange man. Could it be? Is this man perhaps, a blood related family member of his. Examining the man closer he finds they do have certain similarities. They both have the same dark black hair and pale skin, but overall their features aren't of a familial nature.

Taking in a deep breath, Riley addresses the still silent man, "So, who are you".

A beat of silence follows as the male considers him before he replies "My name is Severus Snape, I am a potions master and the potions professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".

Riley takes a minute to process the newfound information that had just been presented to him. So it seems he had been right to assume the strange things he could do was due to magic. If this man is to be believed.

"And how do we know you are telling the truth?" Riley questions cautiously.

The man's eyes never leave his own as he reaches into his cloak and pulls out what looks to be a wooden stick. Presenting it in front of him he spoke, "This is a wand, it allows for witches and wizards to channel their magic." With a slight flick of his wrist the glass ware on the living room table started to float into the air before setting back down.

Riley glanced at his parents. They looked shocked but intrigued, whispering among themselves. "You aren't surprised?" his father finally asked, scratching his head. "I mean, a wizard appears in our living room..."

"We had an inkling about it," his mother replied, her voice steady. "After all, Riley's been able to perform strange acts for years now."

The man, Professor Snape, then slips his wand back underneath his cloak and instead pulls out an envelope. He offers it to Riley who cautiously takes it.

Examining the seal closely he could see the title of Hogwarts engraved on it. Carefully opening the letter he reads it out to his parents. "Dear Mr. Davies, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..." he trails off quickly scanning the rest of the letter before passing it on to his parents for themselves to read.

He then looks over the second paper that had been in the envelope; it seemed to be a school supply list. He then passes that off to his parents as well.

"I'm a wizard? ... Honestly that makes sense"

Taking a deep breath he slowly lets it out, gathering his thoughts. "Does that mean my birth parents were magical?" The man answers back bluntly "No, your parents could both be muggles and you could still be a wizard". Nodding in understanding he accepts this before continuing, "If I were to accept, then how much is the cost of attendance?"

"There is no tuition cost to attend Hogwarts however if you don't qualify for assistance then you must pay for your school supplies"

"And how do I procure my supplies? Many of the items listed would not be found in the average shop."

"I will be personally escorting you and your parents through the process at Diagon alley, a shopping district in the magical world."

His head full of information, Riley attempts to centre himself. Riley's heart raced at the thought of attending a magical academy. He could picture himself learning spells, finding mythical creatures, and exposing all the secrets this new world had to offer. "I want to go!" he states firmly, turning to his parents, who exchanged glances full of pride and concern.