HP - Shadow Monarch! [BOOK 1]

Chapter 152 - Learning About the Shadows.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]

Third Person POV

Romania.

...

...

Snape was back in his house after using the Floo powder, ignoring all the letters. It even seemed like they had increased in number after a few hours away.

He now wore the strange ring that Esteve had given him, controlling the magic emanating from his body, making it as strong as it had been when he left Hogwarts, so as not to raise any suspicions.

"Esteve..." Snape murmured. That name certainly bothered him more than he would like, but there was nothing he could do now. Besides, he had to be thankful for the ring. He would use it for as long as necessary, but he knew there would come a time when he would control his magic well enough or wouldn't need to hide his magical power in this world anymore.

"Hooww!" Shadow appeared at that moment, landing in the middle of the room on his perch and greeting Snape again, looking worried that he might leave and disappear.

"Anyway... let's first figure out what to do while I'm not returning to Hogwarts yet. I'd rather not go back right now, but I can still get something useful out of that place while I pass as a student." Snape concluded as he left the room, heading to a chamber filled with ingredients he had preserved. Some had spoiled because he had returned much later than expected.

"This smells awful..." he commented.

He began cleaning the room with his wand, removing all the rotten items to throw them away. After a cleaning spell, the place became usable again.

With that done, he didn't start brewing potions just yet. Instead, he set up Salazar's cauldron, organizing everything to begin working the next day. He marked directly in a book what he needed to make, both for the shop and to have some extra potions on hand.

"Now I need to pick up supplies from Genini tomorrow at the shop," Snape murmured before looking at his hand, which was releasing a dark aura.

'First, I need to deal with this.'

With that, he left the chamber and went to his bedroom, lying down on the bed. Shadow followed him, perching nearby to sleep as well.

"OHHW!" The black owl let out a protesting sound.

"Atlas... I know. He's not here now, but I'll fetch him soon," Snape said, aware that he would have to return to Transylvania to find out what had happened to Atlas.

Shadow made another sound, but Snape didn't respond this time. Instead, he climbed onto the bed and sat in a lotus position.

"I'm going to meditate to control this power, so try not to distract me, Shadow," Snape instructed, and the owl fell silent.

He closed his eyes, focusing on controlling the death energy within him. He was now a fully-fledged necromancer.

'When I learned about my role in the Order, I discovered some things about the ring's power and the ancient monarch I was meant to protect... They say he was the most feared on the battlefield during the wars against the rulers. The longer the fight dragged on, and the more deaths there were, the stronger he became as he kept raising the dead.'

Snape reflected on the teachings about ancient wars from thousands of years ago, which had resulted in the destruction of countless worlds.

He remembered that his master in the Order would say that when the Shadow Monarch appeared on the battlefield, everyone trembled. With a single gesture, all the monsters and fallen soldiers would rise as his subjects, regardless of their power or species. That was why he was so feared—a being who could destroy an entire world and turn it into his army.