The morning light had grown bright and sharp by the time Cassius stepped back into Diagon Alley with midday already fast approaching.
The hum of the wand in its holster was constant—a living rhythm beneath his fingertips, thrumming faintly like a pulse in time with his own.
A wand pleased to have found its master and getting to get out of that musty trunk and see the world once more after hundreds of years in 'captivity'.
Cassius drew in a deep breath.
He finally was a complete wizard now, sure he only knew a few simple spells but he had a partner that made learning others possible.
"Now," he murmured softly to himself. "Let's make the most of this."
He had work to do before the school term began.
The first stop was Flourish and Blotts.
The bookshop was already crowded, parchment dust thick in the air, the scent of old ink and leather binding filling his senses.
Cassius moved through the aisles with precise purpose, ignoring the younger children chattering about which Defense Against the Dark Arts text had the best illustrations.
He wanted function, not fluff.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Year One," he murmured, scanning the shelves. "Lockhart's drivel… thankfully only the first couple volumes had been released with others probably with ink still drying. Quintessential Curses and Counter-Curses, outdated. Practical Defensive Theory by Professor Spindlewick… better."
He quickly bought up the textbooks he didnt already have, mainly the one Quirrelmort would require students to purchase for his DADA class.
At the same time being a valued customer, Cassius once more dove into the rear 'used book' bins in search for further pieces of gold.
At the counter, the clerk gave him a peculiar look when the pile reached higher than the counter itself.
"Stocking up, are you?" she asked.
Cassius smiled thinly. "Preparing properly," he replied. "It's my first year at Hogwarts, after all."
The woman blinked, then laughed, ringing up the total.
"If every student came in this prepared, I'd be out of stock by August."
The next stop: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Cassius entered, greeted immediately by the tinkling of a charm bell and the soft rustle of measuring tapes darting about the air like lazy snakes.
Madam Malkin herself bustled over. "Ah, another new student! Hogwarts, dear?"
"Yes," Cassius said politely. "Black, formal cut, fitted for growth—self-adjusting enchantments if possible. I've outgrown my last set faster than expected."
"Of course, of course! Step up, arms out."
As she worked, the measuring tape zipped about his frame, whispering the measurements aloud in quicksilver tones.
"You've quite the build for your age," she remarked, pins hovering near his sleeve. "You'll be a fine young wizard—Slytherin, I'll wager?"
Cassius's lips twitched. "Likely."
When the robes were finished, he asked for an extra set of traveling cloaks, lined with protective silk—charms woven against cold and minor hexes.
The woman raised an eyebrow at the request, but didn't argue; galleons had a way of softening disbelief.
And it wasnt unreal for wealthy students to ask for traveling robes to wear in wintertime when they return for vacation to their families.
He spent another hour crossing the alley, ticking off each category on his mental list:
Magical quills and extra-fine Runework parchment from Scribbulus.
Bed linens charmed for warmth and comfort from Gladrags Wizardwear's side stall.
Bottled ink infused with trace silver for better spell inscription.
Then came Eeylops Owl Emporium.
The familiar scent of feathers, straw, and faint ozone filled his nose as he entered.
His heart softened at the sight of a sleek, dark owl resting on a high perch—a mirror image of his first companion, Noctis, who still watched over his hidden home.
"A male," Cassius murmured.
The shopkeeper nodded.
"Looking for a mating pair are you? hehe this young fellar would be more than willing to perform the required task all while carring your letters while at it."
Cassius reached out, and the owl—majestic, black feathers shimmering violet in the light—stared back at him, unflinching, before flapping over to land on his arm.
He smiled faintly. "You'll do."
The deal was struck with a few coins exchanged and a new name given: Umbra.
Umbra would be taken to his home, and hopefully a bond would form with Noctis allowing his aging owl the chance to create some fine owlets, she was after all getting up there in years already having approached her ninth year, with seven of those serving Cassius.
The owl blinked once, then hooted low—a sound of understanding.
That left the final, most critical errand.
Potage's Cauldron Shop.
Inside, the tang of metal and fugue of herbs hung thick.
Most students would grab the cheapest pewter option without a second thought as it was what would be listed as required for class, but Cassius had long since learned better.
"Copper," he said at once when the attendant approached. "Seventeen-inch, reinforced rim, rune-inscribed base."
The man frowned. "Copper's not on the list, lad. Pewter's cheaper, easier for school—"
"Pewter is tin alloy," Cassius interrupted coolly, "and tin leeches trace impurities under extended heat. The average potion brewed in such a cauldron degrades by eight percent in potency before bottling."
The man blinked, thrown by the precision.
Cassius continued.
"Copper conducts magic evenly. The reactions are cleaner. I'll take two—one as spare."
The man hesitated only long enough to realize he was being paid in solid galleons, and fetched the order immediately.
Next came ingredients: dried aconite, belladonna, powdered moonstone, asphodel root—everything that would be listed on the Hogwarts supply list, and several extras besides, for his own experimentation until he was granted access to Snapes personal storeroom.
He added a personal selection of rarer reagents: wyvern bone dust, crushed malachite, and one sealed vial of Mandrake essence. And secretly also a collection of mature mandrake leaves
By the time he left the shop, Cassius had spent the better part of two hundred galleons in total.
A fortune to most families let alone children.
But Cassius Snape was no ordinary child.
Every coin was an investment in the future.
He checked his list one final time as he stepped back into the open street, the golden light now slanting through the alleys.
Everything he needed—textbooks, robes, potions supplies, tools, even bedding—was accounted for.
His hand brushed the wand holstered at his thigh, the subtle warmth of it pulsing back in quiet affirmation.
"Ready?" he murmured.
The wand hummed once, and Cassius almost thought he heard a whisper—Always.
With that, he moved to a quiet corner near the Leaky Cauldron, where he pulled a common looking brass disk from his pocket.
His personal portkey, keyed for privacy.
He placed his hand upon it, murmured the activation charm, and the world tilted—colors swirling, the air crackling around him.
The last thing Diagon Alley saw of Cassius Snape was a shimmer of light and a faint, echoing pulse of magic that rattled nearby windows before vanishing into stillness.
When the silence settled again, those few who had glanced his way whispered to each other, wondering who the boy with the dragon-eyed gaze had been.
Ollivander, somewhere behind his counter, would have known.
And deep within the shop, the old wandmaker still stared at the pouch of gold Cassius had left behind, fingers trembling slightly as the ancient wand's echo continued to hum faintly through the walls.
Some bonds, it seemed, could shake the very air they were forged in.