Inside the modest living room of the house on Spinner’s End, Severus sat comfortably on the sofa, his full attention focused on the wand in his hand.
“Wingardium Leviosa.” A faint magical connection formed between the wand and the feather resting on the coffee table.
Under Severus’s steady control, the feather slowly rose into the air.
It floated gently, swaying from side to side as it responded to the subtle movements of his wand.
The moment the Levitation Charm was successfully completed, the information displayed by his system quietly updated.
[Spellcasting Lv.1 has been unlocked.] Five days had passed since his trip to Diagon Alley.
During those five days, Severus had done little besides familiarizing himself with his new wand, bonding with the raven he had named Juliet, and thoroughly reading every first-year Hogwarts textbook he had purchased.
Only after gaining a solid understanding of the theoretical foundations had he begun practicing actual spellcasting.
Since the Ministry’s Trace was not placed on magical children until they officially enrolled at Hogwarts, Severus could freely practice magic for the next two years without worrying about attracting the Ministry’s attention.
To him, those two years were priceless.
The pressure of simply surviving had disappeared.
Now, every ounce of his effort could be devoted to becoming stronger.
That had always been his greatest goal ever since he had awakened in this world.
The first magical discipline he successfully mastered was Charms.
Although he could currently perform only the Levitation Charm with any consistency, unlocking the skill itself represented an important milestone.
He had officially taken his first step along the path of magic.
Nor had Charms been his only achievement.
After countless attempts, he had finally succeeded in transforming a freshly picked leaf into a blank sheet of parchment.
With that success, another notification quietly appeared.
[Transfiguration Lv.1 has been unlocked.] The following days passed in an endless cycle of studying, practicing, and experimenting.
Severus became so absorbed in magic that he frequently forgot to eat and barely noticed the passage of time.
Eventually, even Eileen could no longer watch him bury himself indoors every day.
One morning, she simply ushered him out the front door before he could protest.
“Severus,” she said gently, “I know how much you love magic, but even witches and wizards need to get some fresh air once in a while.
Go outside and relax.” Her words still echoed in his ears.
Standing outside the house, Severus looked somewhat absent-minded.
His thoughts were still immersed in magical theory, as though part of his mind remained inside the pages of his textbooks.
Only when Juliet, perched comfortably on his forearm, gave his hair an impatient peck did he finally return to reality.
He smiled helplessly and gently stroked the raven’s glossy black feathers, which shimmered with subtle iridescent colors beneath the sunlight.
“All right.” “Let’s take a break.” “I suppose even I need to rest once in a while.” As usual, he popped a Screaming Sweet into his mouth before setting off.
With no particular destination in mind, Severus wandered through the industrial town of Cokeworth.
Objectively speaking, it was far from an ideal place to live.
Discarded chip wrappers and greasy food containers littered the streets, while the nearby river carried an oily sheen that reflected years of industrial pollution.
Even the air carried the lingering smell of smoke from the surrounding factories.
After briefly passing through Spinner’s End, Severus decisively headed toward the outskirts of town.
The further he walked from the factories, the cleaner the surroundings became.
The grass grew greener.
The air became noticeably fresher.
Even the oppressive smell of industry gradually faded away.
As he walked, his ears twitched slightly.
Voices drifted over from somewhere nearby.
Normally, he would have ignored them.
Then he heard a familiar name.
“Lily.” Severus instinctively altered his direction.
A few moments later, he arrived at a small hill overlooking an open patch of grass.
Half-hidden behind the drooping branches of an old willow tree, he quietly looked down.
Two young girls were arguing below.
Neither of them noticed the silent observer watching from above.
Severus’s gaze naturally settled on the red-haired girl.
Her hair blazed brilliantly beneath the afternoon sun.
Her vivid green eyes shone with intelligence and determination, widening slightly whenever she became emotional.
Lily Evans.
He silently watched the scene unfold.
According to the original timeline, this was the girl who had become Severus Snape’s first and only love.
The two of them would spend much of their childhood together before attending Hogwarts.
Years later, everything would fall apart after the infamous incident beside the lake during their fifth year, leaving behind a regret that haunted Severus Snape until the day he died.
Lily would eventually marry James Potter.
Together they would give birth to Harry Potter, whose survival would forever change the course of the Wizarding World.
Those memories surfaced naturally within his mind.
Yet Severus remained completely calm.
To him, they belonged to someone else’s life.
Someone else’s regrets.
He was not the original Severus Snape.
He had inherited the memories, but not the emotions attached to them.
More importantly, from the moment he arrived in this world, the future had already begun to change.
The regret that the original Severus had carried until his dying breath meant nothing to him.
Which left him with a simple question.
Should he approach Lily Evans?
Should he follow the path history had already laid before him?
After considering it seriously, Severus quietly shook his head.
Too troublesome.
Women only slowed down the speed at which he could wave his wand.
Without any emotional attachment, everyone could remain ordinary acquaintances.
But the moment feelings became involved, countless unnecessary complications would inevitably follow.
His future plans would have to account for Lily.
His relationship with James Potter and the rest of the Marauders would almost certainly deteriorate because of her.
He wasn’t afraid of conflict.
Far from it.
But Hogwarts was a school.
He intended to spend his time studying magic, not wasting years on childish rivalries.
The era he had been reborn into would inevitably descend into chaos.
If he wanted to survive…
If he wanted to rise above everyone else…
Then every moment of his life had to be devoted to pursuing magic.
He wanted to explore every branch of magical knowledge.
He wanted to stand at the very peak of wizardry.
And if he possessed enough power one day, he intended to reshape the Wizarding World according to his own ideals.
Everything he had done since arriving in this world served those goals.
Everything he planned to do in the future would do the same.
Compared to ambitions that grand…
A childhood romance seemed utterly insignificant.
After making his decision, Severus quietly took a step backward.
There was no need for this destined first meeting to happen.
He turned around, preparing to leave without disturbing either of the girls.
Unfortunately…
He had forgotten about the restless companion perched on his shoulder.
A mischievous glint flashed through Juliet’s brilliant violet eyes.
The raven suddenly puffed out her chest.
Then, in an astonishingly clear voice, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Gah!” “Severus is hiding here eavesdropping on girls!”